Vanished
by Lillyana
Summary: In the middle of the night 99% of the Earth's population disappears. Bella Swan finds her father is still in Forks and decides to leave Chicago to be with him. A winnebago becomes her covered wagon, with her friends they take a modern Oregon Trail west.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch 1 – The Nightmare**

I thrashed back and forth in my bed, the nightmare I was having made it impossible for me to get a restful night of sleep.

In the dream I was constantly running uphill from an unknown aggressor. The more I ran, the more difficult it was to keep up my pace but when I would slow down, the closer it got to me.

_Save me, please. Stop._

Just then, gentle hands shook my shoulders, trying to snap me from my nightmare.

"Bells, wake up babe! Come on, wake up!" My best friend, Alice, was trying to rouse me from my sleep.

My eyes popped open and I looked at her perched on the edge of my bed, her face ridden with concern. The dreams had become more frequent lately. Each time the dream would get worse and more terrifying.

I sat up and rubbed my bleary eyes as drops of sweat trickled from my forehead, dripping onto the bed. I sat there, shivering, with my knees drawn to my chest protectively.

"Bells, I'm worried. This is the fourth night in a row I've had to wake you up from a nightmare and this time you were whimpering in your sleep. Maybe you need to talk to someone." Alice looked at me with concern.

I nodded in agreement, waiting for my ability to speak to return. It had been many nights of fitful sleep and my body couldn't handle it anymore, neither could my sanity. Alice dashed to the kitchen. I could hear her filling the teapot with water and setting it on the stove. She ran back to my side and pushed the hair out of my eyes.

"There's a great doctor here in Chicago that my friend Tanya went to for a while. She was having severe night terrors about vampires coming after her and stealing her daughter. It was silly, I mean, really, vampires? The nightmares were seriously affecting her life and Dr. Cullen made it possible for her to sleep again," Alice suggested.

"Alice, that sounds great. Give me the number and I will call Dr. Cullen tomorrow," I agreed. I cleared my hoarse throat as the tea kettle whistled for Alice's attention.

After some soothing tea, I began to feel a bit human again, but the strong feeling of despair was still in the pit of my stomach.

Something was wrong.

I didn't know what it was or what could possibly be triggering it, but I knew that something was causing the nightmares. Alice had left Dr. Cullen's phone number for me on the message board before she darted off for work. I had to convince her that I would be fine before she left my side. Alice had a tendency to worry too much. I reminded her I had a classroom full of fourth graders that wouldn't give me a moment's rest. I did promise that I would take the train instead of driving; as she worried I would fall asleep at the wheel.

Grabbing my bag, I walked out into the morning sunshine, while I sipped the tea from my mug and headed towards the train. I kept replaying the nightmare in my head. Since I was no psychologist I gave up and decided that Dr. Cullen could tell me what was wrong with me and was absolutely certain she'd have me committed. Who dreams night after night about running uphill from something she can't see? Well, I did certainly.

My day moved fairly swiftly after that as texts from Alice bombarded me throughout my day at school. I taught a fourth grade class. In our curriculum we taught all the subjects. My strengths were English and History. Math and Science weren't my favorite subjects, but I still tried to make it fun. At this moment we were in the history section of class. While my students excitedly played Oregon Trail and tracked their wagon's progress as they moved out West, I took the time to glance at my phone.

_Alice: B! Feeling better? Set up the appt?_

_Bella: Ali, yes. Called DrC at lunch and will be going in on Friday._

_Alice: Good. Drinks with Rose after work? Sunset?_

_Bella: Sounds like a plan. Meet at 6:30?_

_Alice: Confirmed with Ro. Perfect._

"Ms. Swannnnnnn, we need help," one of my students yelled, reminding me of my job.

"Sure, what's wrong?" I asked her. I walked over to find that my student lost two of her oxen and was upset. I told her she'd have to bargain with someone to buy more and she grumbled in dismay while I reminded her to log the loss in her journal.

I loved this exercise. The creativity of these students was amazing and they really seemed to enjoy the assignment as well. Each year I would have my students play the classic Oregon Trail game. We were learning about the hardships of the 19th century and traveling the trail. The game allowed them to have fun and learn at the same time. I required each of the students to document their journey into a journal as if _they_ were the settlers moving out West. Reading their journals when the exercise was complete was the best part of my job.

I glanced at the clock and noticed that time was up for the history section of class. I kindly let them know, and instructed them to save their progress and to close out the computers, eliciting groans of frustration because they all knew math was next.

The rest of the day went by smoothly as my class was pretty easy to deal with. Most of the kids were still eager to learn and I tried to make the whole learning process interesting. I found it was easier to engage them if I tried to relate to them and remember what it was like to be their age.

Once the school day was over, I packed up my gear and the assignments I needed to grade and headed off to the Sunset Room which was a favorite drink spot for Alice, Rose and me.

When I arrived, the girls were already there with drinks in hand and one on the table for me. I plopped in the booth across from them and dropped my bag down, grabbing my drink and taking a long sip. My lack of sleep was starting to catch up to me. Because I was so tired, I knew that I had to limit my drinking or I'd be rip-roaring drunk fairly quickly. And let's be honest no one wants to see me wasted. Well, Alice and Rosalie enjoyed it immensely; I however, did not enjoy it as much. The last time I drank too much it ended with me on the dance floor with the lecherous Mike Newton. Even worse than dancing with him was agreeing to the disastrous date we had a few days later. I shuddered at the memory.

I noticed Rosalie and Alice were studying me cautiously and it looked like they were attempting to form the right words. Alice was probably afraid to offend me, but Rosalie was never worried about hurting someone's feelings. She didn't like bullshit and never gave anyone any since she didn't appreciate receiving it.

My friends looked like polar opposites. Alice, a dark haired pixie-like woman, had a penchant for fashion and a love for all things fabulous. She worked for Neiman Marcus

as a buyer and I couldn't think of a more perfect job for her.

Rosalie, on the other hand, was a buxom blonde that looked like a Playboy bunny. But don't tell her that, she'd ream your ass so hard you'll wish you never had one to begin with. Rose worked at an auto body shop where she specialized in customization. No one could fine tune a car like her, and no one looked better while doing it. Again, don't tell her that if you like your organs where they are. Rosalie took pride in her work and often times she felt her customers only came to her because of her looks, not because she was the best at what she did. She had to work twice as hard as men in her field to be taken seriously. It left her a bit cynical at times.

"Bella, are you ok? Are you losing it?" Rosalie asked me as she swirled the straw in her drink.

Alice glared at Rose. "She's fine, Rose. She's just not sleeping well. Tell Rose you aren't losing it."

"Who's Rose? Where am I? Can I sleep?" I slumped over in the booth, throwing my arm over my face.

I could hear Alice gasp and Rose drop her straw. They stammered and sat there in shock and I tried not to snicker at their lack of action. If I had really passed out, I'd hope they'd act faster than that.

"Shit guys, if I was dying would you really just sit there and stare at me?" I snorted.

I popped my head up and took another swig of my drink. Rose narrowed her eyes at me and frowned and I smiled at her innocently but didn't dare look at Alice. Just then an ice cube hit me square in the forehead and then fell into my lap. I grabbed it and threw it back at Alice.

"That wasn't funny Bella. I've seriously been worried about you. Don't do that again." Alice frowned at me.

"I'm sorry Alice, I swear. I'm fine. I'm tired, but I'm ok. I have a meeting with Dr. Cullen on Friday morning. I'm sure we'll sort it all out." I reassured her.

After that the subject was dropped and we exchanged stories about our respective days at work and made plans for the weekend. I really wanted to get some rest and watch movies but Alice and Rosalie figured retail therapy would be best for me with an afternoon at the spa to cap it off. Even after all these years of friendship, they still failed to recognize my lack of interest in fashion and salons. I appreciated their concern though and kept my comments to myself.

When it was time to go home, Alice and I wobbled back to our apartment around midnight. I had told them no more than two drinks and they told me I didn't qualify shots in that limitation. Two drinks and three shots later I stood unsteadily in the doorway of my room. Walking in slowly, I crawled into my bed and hoped the sheer exhaustion I felt would keep the nightmare at bay. I closed my eyes and hoped for uninterrupted sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**CH 2 – The Vanishing**

My sleep was not uninterrupted.

Alice found me screaming out, and once again she had to wake me up. This time, the nightmare had felt more real than ever. I could feel whoever was behind me. Their hot breath on my back made my shirt flutter and my skin burn. Alice slid in to the bed next to me. It was reassuring to have her there.

"Bella, what are you dreaming about? You won't even tell me." Alice asked.

I sighed; I hadn't wanted to tell anyone about my weird dreams. They made me feel crazy and I was embarrassed. I was a grown woman being kept up at night by the boogeyman.

"I'm running. Always running uphill, from something--someone, I'm not really sure. I try so hard to get away and I can't. But it's never right behind me; I'm always a little ahead." I hesitated and Alice poked me, urging me to continue. "Tonight it caught up to me. I could feel him, it, her, whatever; I could feel it behind me, hot breath blowing on my back. It made my skin burn."

Alice rubbed my arm reassuringly. "Dr. Cullen will help sort it out. I'm sure of it."

I nodded and rolled on my side. I hoped Alice was right. The clock switched over to 6:00a.m. and the alarm blared. I slapped it off. "Like I need that," I muttered.

***

I hopped out of the shower and heard Alice call me. Slipping on my robe, I wandered into the kitchen.

"Bella, don't be mad," Alice said cautiously, "but I called Dr. Cullen's office and said it was an emergency. She's expecting you at 9:30. I also called the school and told them you were sick, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Ali, boundaries! Seriously, I appreciate that, but you have got to learn when to step back a bit." I was grateful to Alice, but the girl didn't know when to let me take care of things myself.

She gave me a steely look that normally made me cower, but I was too exhausted to fight with her. She handed me a cup of coffee and a bagel. I gave her a weak smile and sipped it.

"Bells, I'm just worried. In fact, I'm dropping you off there and waiting for you. I took the day off." She smiled genuinely and skipped off to her room.

I sighed at the annoying pixie. She made up for her diminutive size with her larger than life persona. I knew arguing was futile. I also knew that Jasper's gallery, her boyfriend, was around the corner from Dr. Cullen's office. Two birds, one stone. Well played, annoying pixie, well played. I glanced at the clock, which read 8:30, an hour until my time with the head shrinker. I wondered what Dr. Cullen was like, and if she could help me figure out what demon was causing my sleep problems. Mostly, I hoped she'd help me find a way to sleep again.

Alice bounded out of her room looking fierce in a pair of designer jeans and a grey BCBG sweater. She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the door.

"Come on, let's get a move on. You know traffic is a bitch in this town," she lectured.

I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my bag. Alice was already half way down the stairs. If I had half her energy I could be dangerous. "No Alice, that's you," I shouted after her. Her bell-like laugh floated back up to me.

***

Dr. Esme Cullen's office was on the 6th floor of a modest building. Alice walked me up to the office and promised she'd be there when the appointment was over. She anticipated I'd be done in a couple hours and said that if I got out and she wasn't there, to text. She wouldn't be far. I gave her a knowing look and walked inside.

Dr. Cullen had a homey and comfortable office. Her receptionist, Jessica, was friendly and well trained. I had assumed there would be some kind of judgmental attitude when I walked in. Jessica handed me a clipboard with some forms to fill out and motioned for me to sit down.

As I started on the forms I heard commotion coming from her private office. Jessica focused on her computer in an attempt to not appear as though she were listening.

"NO! Absolutely not! This is my life. I love what I do and who I am. Regardless of what you think," a man shouted. I shook my head. These therapy sessions must be intense. I could hear Dr. Cullen murmuring to the aggravated man and the sound of a chair being scuffed across the floor. "That's fine, that's just fine. I've got to go. NO! I won't see you later."

Just then the door flew open and a man stood in the doorway. He had a hand raised to his face. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in sheer frustration. My breath hitched in my chest. He seemed to be around my age, tall, lean with strangely colored bronze hair. He'd clearly been running his fingers through it as it seemed to take a life of its own, sticking up in every direction. His eyes met mine; they were a piercing emerald green. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, seeming to be under some kind of spell. An audible sigh of desire from Jessica snapped me out of it.

He grabbed his coat and stomped towards the door. "Bye Edward," Jessica said breathily. He glared at her, not even acknowledging me, and stormed out.

"Wow, I can't wait for therapy now." I muttered under my breath.

"That wasn't a patient," Jessica said quietly, though I was certain she was violating some kind of rule. "That was Dr. Cullen's son."

"Well, he's kinda rude. Who shouts at their parent like that?" I said brusquely.

"Edward is a good man. We just agree to disagree at times," Dr. Cullen said, appearing in her doorway.

I blushed fiercely, I hadn't noticed Dr. Cullen join us. _Way to make a first impression Swan. Criticize your new doctor's son. Brilliance at it's finest._ Unfortunately it's not atypical for a person like me to have foot-in-mouth syndrome.

"Don't worry, dear. Are you finished with your forms?" I nodded and handed them to her. "Please follow me. Jessica, no calls, please."

Jessica nodded and turned back to her monitor. I followed Dr. Cullen into her office and my stomach was knotted up with nerves at the prospect of having to discuss the nightmares. She motioned for me to have a seat in a chair across from her desk. Looking around, I noticed there wasn't a couch. I thought I was supposed to lie on one, or something. I shrugged my shoulders and settled in to the seat.

Dr. Cullen sat down at her desk and flipped through my forms. She read through my medical history, though nothing of importance was there.

"You've spent a lot of time in the ER?" she questioned.

I felt heat creep up my cheeks. "I'm terribly clumsy. Nothing big, a couple broken bones, a concussion, scrapes. That kind of thing."

"I see. You live with a roommate. Are you romantically involved with anyone?" I shook my head no and she made a note. I wondered why a romantic attachment was important "You work full-time as a teacher. Hobbies?"

"I love to read, and write. As I said I'm clumsy so sports are out of the question. I'm kind of a homebody. Adventure is not my thing." Dr. Cullen made more notes and pursed her lips.

"Tell me about the nightmares," she said. There was no getting around it. Apparently we were diving in headfirst. I just hoped there was water in the pool.

I explained to her when they started and how they had intensified over the last week. I'd been having the running dream for three months and only about two weeks ago had something started chasing me. She found this information interesting and asked me what was going on two weeks ago.

I thought back. It was spring break and I had had a week off of school. I had been preparing the Oregon Trail assignment to give to my students when we returned and had gone on a disastrous date with Mike Newton. He was a creep, real handsy. I'd gotten Alice to call and pretend to be my mom so I could ditch him.

Of course we laughed about it when I got home. We ate ice cream and watched Sixteen Candles. I lamented about how I'd never find my perfect guy while stuffing my face. Alice talked about Jasper and how she wished he had a great friend for me.

"I don't see how a lame date could have triggered it. It's the worst thing that's happened in the last two weeks, but it doesn't explain why my stomach is a churning pit of dread and I can't sleep due to insane nightmares." At least I didn't think it did.

"Bella, even the simplest trauma can cause nightmares. Not usually at the intensity that you seem to be suffering from, but it is possible. It seems like your life is too sheltered. Your nightmare might be a signal that you actually _need_ adventure in your life. I'm not suggesting you become an adrenaline junkie, but trying something new may not hurt," She suggested.

I took in her suggestion. My life had gotten exceedingly dull lately. With the exception of my terrible date and last night's drinking, I really hadn't done much recently. I'd spent my whole spring break at home planning homework for fourth graders. In my heart though, I knew there was something else wrong. Mike Newton's hands made my skin crawl, but they didn't terrify me...much.

"I see what you are saying Dr. Cullen. I really do. But I _know _that there has to be something else. I wish I knew what it was, but I just have this feeling something is going happen," I sighed. I felt defeated.

"I know you're a teacher, so I'm sure you can do this homework without putting up much of a fight." I looked at her questioningly as she continued. "I want you to do something you have never done today. I don't care what it is. Anything, as long as you have never done it. Then next week we can meet up again and see how you are doing."

"Uh, ok. It can be anything? Like if I've never ridden a Ferris wheel 'cause I'm slightly scared of heights, that counts?" I asked.

Dr. Cullen nodded her head. "Navy Pier it is, then. I hope Alice is ready to have her fingers crushed by me."

She walked me out and we scheduled a follow-up appointment for next week. Jessica handed me one of Dr. Cullen's cards with her emergency contact information and I thanked her, grabbing my stuff.

I walked outside to the bustling street and Alice was nowhere to be seen. I pulled my phone out to text her.

_**Ali, done w/my appt. Where are you?**_

_**At Jasper's gallery. We made a new friend.**_

_**Gotcha. Be right there.**_

The sun felt great, warming my skin as I rounded the corner to Jasper's shop. He owned a small and eclectic gallery and it did a fair amount of business. He seemed to love it as much as he loved Alice. Their love was gag inducing at times, but it didn't mean I didn't envy it.

They were seated outside drinking coffee and talking to a large, imposing man with a laugh to match. Alice looked like she could fit inside his pocket, but it didn't stop her from slapping him upside the head at something he said.

"Bells! This is Emmett. Emmett, this is Bella, my roommate and best friend." She screeched.

"Thanks, Ali. Hello Emmett, it's nice to meet you." I said as I assessed Emmett when he stood up to greet me. He was tall with broad shoulders, and he seemed like he'd be great at football. His hair was dark and curly and his eyes were an ice-cold blue. Alice was vibrating with excitement.

I knew what she was thinking.

Emmett was hot, but I preferred them long and lean, maybe green eyes. I shook my head.

Where'd that come from?

"So what'd the doc say?" She asked. I glanced at Emmett, if she wanted to set me up with him, letting him know that I was crazy was not the way to go.

"She gave me an assignment, actually. Her theory is that I don't have enough excitement in my life and I'm supposed to do something I've never done." I explained. "So we're going to Navy Pier and riding the Ferris wheel."

"You've never been on a Ferris wheel?" Emmett asked, incredulously.

"Nope, she hasn't. She's so afraid of heights, she refuses to do anything like that. She's never been on a rollercoaster, either. Oooooooooh! Let's go to Great America instead; we can go on roller coasters!" Alice squealed.

"Alice, can we take baby steps please? Roller coasters once I conquer the Ferris wheel, ok? Let's invite Rose too. We can go later. Emmett, if you aren't busy, you are welcome to join us." I added.

Emmett smiled and patted me on the leg. "Sure thing, tiny, I'd be happy to come along. I've only got a couple days left in this town and I'm sick of museums."

I scowled at him for calling me tiny, not that I was some imposing beast. If I was tiny, I wondered what he considered Alice to be. I giggled to myself, which only earned me curious looks from the three of them. I wanted to tell Alice about Dr. Cullen's rude and devastatingly handsome son, but not in front of Jasper and Emmett. I grabbed my phone and texted her.

_**Need to talk alone.**_

_**No prob.**_

Alice glanced up at me and winked. "Um, Jasper. I could really use something to eat. Think you guys can handle that?" She looked between Jasper and Emmett.

Jasper sighed, "Come on Emmett, that's code for, 'Get the fuck out of here, we need girl-talk time'."

"Jasper, I'm offended by that insinuation. I just desperately need chocolate." Alice smiled sweetly.

Alice waved them off and turned to me. "What's the dish? Are you totally nutso-whackadoodle-crazy?"

"Yes, Alice. I'm certifiable. And, by the way, thanks for bringing it up in front of a complete stranger." Alice rolled her eyes as I continued. "Dr. Cullen is amazing. She's considerate and a great listener and has the HOTTEST son I've ever seen."

"Oh, I see. This is about a man, tell me about him," she gushed.

"Well, first of all, he's rude and obnoxious. He was screaming at Dr. Cullen when I arrived. But then the door opened and there he was. He looked better than any douche bag had a right to; tall, lean but muscled. I could tell through his shirt, it was like…rippling…amazing green eyes and the most unusual bronze colored hair." I sighed.

"Kind of like that guy over there?" I followed Alice's manicured finger to the coffee cart.

There he was, in all his overly sexy glory. I flushed bright red and grabbed Alice's arm. "Alice, don't point," I hissed.

In my attempt to be cool I knocked my plate off the table. Gratefully, it did not shatter but it certainly caught his attention. I hid behind my hair as he strode over and picked it up for me. He gave a curt nod and walked back to the cart.

I looked at Alice, she looked back at me. "Hottest. Fucking. Douche bag. Ever. Go get him, tiger."

I slapped Alice on the arm. "Nah, I prefer something sweeter. Let's go. Rose is meeting us in about an hour for my Ferris Wheel adventure."

***

The five of us stood in line for the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier and my stomach was in complete knots. Emmett was attentive to me on our ride there, reassuring me that it would be fine. I appreciated how sweet he was and reconsidered Alice's matchmaking attempt.

Rosalie met us there near the Ferris wheel and she and Emmett saw each other at that moment, and it was like no one else was there. I realized my loss, and my lack of disappointment in it. Who wouldn't choose the goddess Rosalie Hale over me? Jasper rolled his eyes and patted me on the back.

"No worries, Bella. We are still here for you." He smiled.

The gondola that would be my prison for the next seven terrifying minutes, stopped in front of us. The Ferris wheel operator ushered us in, he didn't seem to be old enough to operate this machinery and I reconsidered the ride. However, Alice noticed my hesitation and pushed me in to the machine of death.

I sat down and shut my eyes and pretended that the whole thing wasn't wobbling from side to side.

"Open your eyes, Bella. We're barely even off the ground." I peeked out at Alice. She pointed out that, in fact, we were still near the base.

After the last gondola loaded we were perched precariously at the top. Alice was holding my hands as I looked out over Chicago. The ride began wheeling around in its circle and the more times we went around, the more I relaxed. Alice pointed sights out to me that I had never seen from this vantage point. Rosalie and Emmett were snuggled together, not even looking at the view, but staring at each other. I rolled my eyes and listened to Alice. I realized that it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

The ride ended and we disembarked. My friends were proud of my bravery and indicated that it had earned me ice cream. I was pretty proud too. We all spent the rest of the afternoon together, walking and laughing. Eventually we started to break off. Alice was spending the night with Jasper and Rosalie exchanged numbers with Emmett. He was visiting from Seattle and was leaving the following day. There was obvious disappointment on both of their faces.

I shook hands with Emmett and he scooped me up in a big bear hug. I laughed and slapped him on the head. Rosalie slinked her arm through his and waved goodbye to us as they walked off together. I didn't need much more than a wink from Rose to know what was going to happen tonight.

I arrived at home later than I thought and was thoroughly exhausted from my exciting day. I climbed into bed and opened my window. The flurry of the street below was reassuring to me. Since Alice wasn't here to wake me, I hoped a little background noise would help me sleep. My dreams were usually silent with the exception of my frightened breath and Its footsteps.

***

That night I slept dreamlessly for the first time in months. However, I woke up to complete silence. At first I felt panicked, the silence reminded me of my nightmares. It was totally deafening. I called out for Alice on the off chance she came home, but received no answer.

It was impossible that the streets below were this quiet and a glance out the window showed me that the streets were lined with cars. I shrugged my shoulders and looked back realizing that no one was moving. I wondered to myself what the hell had happened over night.


	3. Chapter 3

**CH 3 – The Wandering**

I stared at the street below me, lined with unmoving cars and buses and couldn't figure it out. Normally, I would have assumed that there was some kind of accident jamming up the traffic, however the silence of the street below was deafening.

I threw a sweatshirt on over my pajamas and slung some shoes on. As I headed for the door, I grabbed my cell phone so I could call Alice and see if it was as weird over there as it was here. I wandered down the stairs cautiously as I tried to dial her number. I pressed the call button, but nothing seemed to happen and wondered if cell towers were down and cursed under my breath.

As I pushed the door open quietly, my breath caught in my chest as I took in the sights around me. The vehicles lining the streets were empty and now that I was closer, I could see that some of them were still running. There were purses, briefcases and backpacks inside them, as if the owners had just up and walked off. I wondered how it was possible that all these people just vanished and wandered up and down my block looking for any signs of life. Every single one was empty. Wallets, phones, iPods, and other personal items were all lying out on seats where anyone could take them.

But there was no one.

From what I could tell, I was the only living thing around.

I drew in a breath and shouted loudly, "Hello?"

I shouted several times, each time I felt more frantic as I realized no one was answering me. I turned and ran back into my apartment, locking the door. What if I **wasn't** alone? What if someone was out there? My head filled with panic and my heart thundered in my chest. I looked at my cell again and it still had no service. I figured if Alice had service I could email her. I flipped open my laptop and clicked on the internet icon. It bounced in the dock as it tried to load.

_Unable to connect. _

I cursed again and flipped on the TV, hoping a friendly newscaster would explain what was happening. My frustration was heightened when all I received from the TV was static.

I considered walking over to Jasper's, where I presumed and hoped Alice was. Using my better judgment, I decided to stay inside. Thankfully, I still had power and slid my iPod in to its dock. Music pulsed throughout the small apartment and it drowned out the silence. But, as time passed, I didn't know if Alice was safe and I lost my cool.

My better judgment behind me, I changed in to jeans and a long sleeved shirt. I slid on my Seattle University sweatshirt, put on my tennis shoes and headed out the door. Jasper lived above his gallery, which was about a five mile hike from our apartment to his. I glanced at the abandoned cars, not seeing anyone around me and started walking. I figured it would take my clumsy self a couple of hours to walk there. I briefly considered listening to my music during my walk, but decided being unaware of my surroundings in any capacity was a bad plan.

As I walked, I looked around in dismay. Everything was abandoned; shopping carts in stores had no patrons pushing them, but their loads were still in them. Clothes were strewn on the floors of boutiques. Cars were slammed in to one another, with no owners there to see the damage. It was as if the people were there, driving, shopping, and then suddenly they weren't. I wondered when it had happened last night. Twenty-four hour business still had their lights burning, while others that didn't open until morning and at this point should have been open were still dark.

I had been walking for nearly an hour when something caught my eye. A glint of bronze was appearing and disappearing behind a fence. It appeared again, a ruffle of bronze hair in the breeze. I approached the fence cautiously and peered over.

Dr. Cullen's rude son Edward sat in a swing, pumping his legs hard to get higher. A small squeak escaped my lips before I could stop it. His head whipped around in my direction and he saw me peeking over the fence. He shrugged and continued to swing. I slinked on to the playground, set down my duffle bag and climbed on the swing next to him. We continued in silence for a few minutes, until he spoke.

"I used to try to swing so hard 'cause I wanted to go over. I saw on TV if you went over the bar your skin would turn inside out," Edward said.

I laughed at his statement, "I was a nick kid too, I loved inside-out boy. Of course I was much too scared to try it and too clumsy." I looked at him nervously.

He stared at the ground and appeared deep in thought. I stuck my hand out to him when my swing stopped. "I'm Bella."

He looked at it warily, after a moment his expression softened. "I'm Edward, but you probably already knew that. Why are you all alone out here?"

"Well, my best friend spent the night at her boyfriend's house. I woke up and the city seemed abandoned. I decided to wait and see if she'd come home, but I couldn't wait to be sure she was safe anymore. Plus, I was lonely and scared. What about you?" I spat out at a rapid fire pace and could feel his eyes studying me, which only made me blush.

"Same, woke up to nothing. When I realized I couldn't call out I walked to my parents flat. But it was empty. I think they're gone." He said quietly, "And the last thing I said to my mom was so horrible." His shoulders hunched, he buried his head in his hands.

I got up off my swing and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. They were strong and shaking with sadness. "Your mom loved you, even if you are a brat. I could tell, despite with the limited time I was in there."

He looked in to my eyes, his green ones brimming with unshed tears. I felt like he could see all the way through me. I was transfixed, dazzled even.

"Wanna come with me? It's probably a couple more miles to Jasper's. I'd feel better with company," I asked him.

He nodded and jumped up off his swing, grabbing the backpack on the ground and swinging it on to his back. I picked up my duffle and pointed the direction we needed to go. We set off in silence; Edward's eyes fixed on the pavement in front of him. He looked so pained. He'd just lost his parents and we didn't know how, or why. His last words to his mother were hardly loving and now he couldn't take that back.

After walking for half an hour, Edward turned to me. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again. I looked at him curiously, wondering what he wanted to ask me.

He was so intimidating; his green eyes were intense with sorrow. His bronze hair was wild and he constantly ran his fingers through it, making me want to reach out and touch it. I wanted to soothe his aching heart, to take him in my arms and plant soft kisses on his face.

"What did you talk to my mom about?" he asked me.

"Uh, I've been having nightmares. My roommate thought maybe if I talked to someone, it would help. I didn't dream last night, so your mom must be a miracle worker." I shrugged. I didn't really want to go in to detail about the nightmares.

He shrugged back and kept walking. We didn't say anything again for the rest of the way. But it was comforting to have him there with me, despite his complete silence. We turned the corner and saw Jasper's gallery, the lights were out in both the gallery and the apartment above. I felt my heart speed up in panic. I couldn't lose Alice, she had to be there. I felt Edward grab my hand. It didn't help my heart slow down, but at least it was racing for a new reason. He gave me a crooked smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. I knew he meant to calm me. It worked; I felt a sense of ease wash through me.

We approached the building and I called out for Alice. When I received no response I tried to get in. Of course the gallery was still locked. I huffed in frustration at the locked door.

"Look out," he said, gently moving me aside as he picked up a stick from the ground. He smashed the small window above the door knob and got all the glass out of the frame, before fiddling with the lock until it opened.

We walked around the silent gallery calling out Alice and Jasper's names. A rustling noise came from above us.

"Alice, is that you?" I shouted.

"Bella!" I heard muffled voice shout back.

I dashed to the back room where a staircase led up to the apartment, with Edward hot on my heels. We burst in to the apartment to find Alice and Jasper huddled together on his couch nervously.

"I told you she'd come here," Alice said to Jasper, relief evident in her voice.

"I'm just glad you are still around." He looked up at Edward curiously. "And you've found someone else?"

"I'm Edward. Bella and I met briefly yesterday. She found me outside my parents' home while she was making her way here and I thought she might be safer if she had an escort," Edward explained to them.

We sat around Jasper's table, trying to decide what to do next. Alice was vibrating in her seat next to me. I counted down to her explosion in my head.

_5…_

_4…_

_3…_

_2…_

"Bella, Let's go out and get some air! We can leave these two fine young men to plan our next move," she said and pulled me towards the staircase. Alice dragged me back through the gallery and on to the stoop, before turning towards me with a wide smile. I prepared myself for the questioning I was about to get.

"So, Edward, huh? He's one beautiful specimen of a man, although, he's a bit intense," she giggled.

"Yeah, I ran in to him on a playground. He looked so sad, swinging by himself. He had gone to his parents flat, but they were gone, just like everyone else around here." I frowned, scanning the area around us.

"Poor Edward. Well, he can stick with us now, we have to stay together. Who knows what's happening out there or who is left! We should walk to Rosalie's place and see if she's still…around," Alice said.

"I think she went back to Emmett's hotel after our adventure yesterday. I'm not sure which one it is," I said hopelessly.

"If Rose is out there, she'll come here. I know she will, just like I knew you would." Alice tapped her head as she spoke.

"Yes, yes, I know. The great and powerful Alice Brandon, too bad you couldn't see this one coming." I gestured to the vast emptiness around us.

She punched me in the arm and snorted. "Did you dream last night? You look rested today."

"Actually, I didn't. I slept the whole night through without a dream. Dr. Cullen's advice worked." I smiled sadly.

"Or, maybe you predicted this. Is it coincidence that your nightmares stop and we wake up to a real life one?" Alice pondered.

I gasped at her statement, "You think this is my fault?"

"No, no, no, Bella, not at all. I'm saying, maybe your subconscious knew something was going to happen," Alice said.

I thought about what Alice had just dumped on me. Even _if _my subconscious was trying to tell me something, there wouldn't have been anything I could do to prevent it. I moved on from that thought and wondered what we were going to do. Alice appeared deep in thought, probably wondering the same things as me.

I was about to say something when something caught the corner of my eye. I poked Alice and pointed across the street at a couple people rushing toward us. Alice looked up and squealed. She bolted up and dashed down the street, her vision was clearly better than mine, I had no idea who it was.

"Alice, Wait up!" I yelled after her. I got up and ran after her.

When I caught up, I found her in a relieved embrace with Rosalie. Emmett stood beside her, grinning widely.

"Hey there big man, we're completely relieved to see you two." I hugged Emmett tight.

"Hey tiny and teeny-totter, we were hoping to find you guys. Are you guys alone?" Emmett asked.

I scowled at the nickname. "Nah, Jasper is in his apartment with a new friend I made wandering over here. His name is Edward and he's pretty glum-his parents are gone, so he's kinda intense right now."

Emmett nodded solemnly and the four of us walked back over to the gallery to find the boys standing outside.

"Fuck, Alice, don't wander off. I thought I heard you shriek and I come outside to find you two are gone." He grabbed Alice and hugged her tight.

"I'm sorry, Jasper, it was a squeal of excitement. Rosalie and Emmett came to us! I knew they would," she exclaimed.

The six of us stood in a circle, with Alice and Jasper wrapped in each others arms. Rosalie and Emmett held hands, while Edward stared at the ground, kicking at rocks. I was fidgeting with my hands, wondering when someone would speak.

Rose stepped away from Emmett and spoke. "I think we should stick together. Who knows who else, or what else is out there. Safety in numbers, I think. There's got to be a place around here that's big enough for all of us to move in to."

"You mean, like squatting? What if they come home?" I asked her.

"Seriously, Bells? Where the hell do you think they'll come from? The fucking thin air? There is _no one_ here," Rosalie sneered at me.

"Well they vanished into the _fucking thin air_! Who's to say they won't just reappear?" I snapped back at her.

We were toe-to-toe. Alice slid in between us and rested her hands on our shoulders, whispering, "We can't fight with each other. We're all we have left now. We're a family."

"You don't know that. We could have family back home," I whispered back to her.

"We still need a place big enough for all of us, or least next door to each other. Come on, Emmett. I can't stand here anymore. Let's go walk," Rose said.

I wanted to follow her and hug her, I wanted to apologize to her, but I was too stubborn. We'd both cool down later. We'd hug it out and all would be forgiven. It had to be, Alice was right, we were a family now.

Alice and Jasper went back inside, leaving Edward and me alone with our thoughts. I stole glances at him occasionally- he was lying on a bench soaking in the sunshine, his bronze hair fluttering in the breeze. He looked peaceful and I envied that. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through it and wondered if my touch would soothe the sadness I knew he was feeling on the inside. Mostly, I wondered if it would take care of the turmoil I felt. Alice's statement from earlier had hit me hard. In reality, I knew that I was not in anyway to blame for the sudden disappearance of a city, but it was still a frightening thought.

I suddenly wondered if this was a local epidemic, or if it was global. Was it an epidemic? What did it mean? My mind started racing out of control. The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became. I didn't even realize that I had started crying, until I felt an arm around my shoulders. I opened my eyes and found Edward sitting next to me.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked quietly.

"I just started thinking about all of this. Alice said that maybe my nightmares were predicting this, seeing as I didn't have one last night while this happened. Or, at least maybe my subconscious knew something bad was going to happen. Obviously I couldn't stop it, even if I knew, but it just started my brain on this unstoppable track.

"Then I wondered if this was a local problem. Like maybe only Chicago has suffered this mysterious disappearance of its population. Of course the damn television networks and the internet are down so it's not like I can tell anyhow. And then I started wondering if my dad was alright. I can't bear to think of him completely alone. Is my mom ok? Is Phil still there? I just can't stop thinking," I rambled.

He pulled me into a hug. I felt an unbearable guilt, knowing he was comforting me. We knew that his parents were gone, I was only speculating that mine were. My parents could still be out there. Yet here he was, holding me and attempting to comfort me. Shouldn't I be doing that for him? I wiped my tears on my sleeve and drew in a deep calming breath.

"Thanks, but shouldn't I be consoling you? I mean, here I am blubbering like a baby and, really, I don't even know if my parents are gone," I mumbled.

"It's ok, sitting like this actually kind of makes me feel better, too. I'm happy I've found you guys. Even though we've just met, I feel a connection to you all. It doesn't make up for what I've lost, but I don't feel alone anymore, well not now at least. We're all going to need each other to lean on," he said.

I gave him a weak smile. "You're brave."

"Nah, just holding out hope for our new family," he whispered.

xVx

A while later, Rose and Emmett reappeared; Edward and I were still sitting outside. I got up and walked over to Rosalie and she gave me an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I'm such a bitch, I'm just scared," she whispered to me.

"So am I. Alice is right, we have to stick together," I said.

"I love you, B." She smiled.

"I love you too, Ro." I hugged her tight. "Let's go get Alice and Jasper and figure out what we're going to do now."

We wandered back up to Jasper's apartment and Alice was already in full planning mode, making lists of what we all needed to get. Jasper was sitting on the couch avoiding the frenzy.

"If the city is really abandoned, we can get everything we need easily. I'm thinking the Trump Tower would make a really fabulous home, don't you agree? We can all live on the same floor, just in different rooms. The rooms are like mini-apartments." She flitted in to Jasper's room and dragged out a suitcase. "Plus it won't really be like squatting since it's not someone's house. We'll just need to get our favorite things. We can hit Michigan Ave. for a shopping trip and get new clothes and ohhh..." Jasper grabbed Alice into his arms on the couch and kissed her.

"That's a way to shut her up," I muttered under my breath.

Edward snickered at my comment and I glanced at him sideways. He gave me his crooked smile again. It was getting closer to his eyes this time.

"Alice, breathe. Really? Trump Tower? That seems a bit…extravagant," I said to her.

"Bella, if this is how our lives are going to be now, I'm going to live in style. That means fabulous digs and proximity to fierce fashion." Alice gave me a stern look.

I sighed. I didn't want to argue with her. The truth was, I just wanted to make sure we were all together. Alice took my sigh as a sign of defeat and continued her planning. No one else spoke up and it looked like Trump Tower would be our new home.

xVx

Alice and I stood around our tiny apartment one last time. Our possessions were boxed and ready to go and I dabbed the tears that were forming in the corners of my eyes.

"Man up, Bella, this is an exciting new chapter in our lives," she said.

I looked at Alice, her eyes glistened with tears. "You're one to talk Ali. Look at the water works there."

We hugged each other tight. We were both scared, but excited. It had been a week since we woke up and found a new world. Now we were starting our new lives as a family of six.

"Come on, girls! Let's go. The truck is loaded and the boys are ready to get going," Rosalie said, as she slid into our little hug.

The three of us took a moment to look around the apartment we had spent so many nights. There had been laughter and tears here. Fights, break-ups and make-ups were seen by these walls. I savored the memories made here for one more moment and then followed Alice and Rosalie down to the truck.

Our lives had become like the blank journal I gave to my students for their Oregon Trail exercise. Page one was leaving the familiar behind and stepping into the unknown.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch 4 – Page One**

We walked through the sleek lobby of Trump Tower in downtown Chicago. I looked around in awe at the glossy mahogany walls embellished with white marble. It was so surreal. We were really going to live here.

"Wow," I breathed.

"I know isn't it amazing? I can't believe you wanted to live somewhere else," Alice giggled as she pressed the elevator button.

"Well, it is a little weird living in a hotel. But at least it will be easy for all of us to be together. That's what matters." I smiled.

The elevator doors opened and we filed in. Emmett and Edward hung behind to find the service elevators so we could get our luggage up. The door opened on the18th floor. The hotel was on floors 18 through 28. Floors 29 up to 87 were condos for purchase. Alice had already claimed a room for herself. It was by far the largest suite on the floor. You could easily fit 2 of our old apartments in there, it was massive. She decided that she was going to live with Jasper. It hadn't actually been a surprise to me. We had been talking about moving in the future. She was ready to live with Jasper and I was ready for some space.

Rosalie and Emmett formed a quick bond. Though they had only known each other a week they quickly decided to move into another of the two bedroom suites on this floor. I wondered if they were moving too fast, but I realized that life was different now. They'd just gone through this traumatic experience together and it had bonded them firmly.

Edward and I both chose smaller one bedroom suites next door to each other. Over the last week we had formed a friendship. He was still distant at most times and often kept to himself while we prepared to move in. No one pressed him to talk; we knew he would when he was ready.

We did learn that he and Emmett were from the Northwest. Emmett was here for a conference. He was an architect from Portland. He mainly worked on office space and high rises. Edward was a concert pianist living in Seattle. He'd confessed to me that he had come to Chicago to visit his parents and hopefully settle some bad blood. They were extremely disappointed that he didn't follow in their medical footsteps. His father was still putting pressure on him. According to Edward, he finished medical school and was prepared for his residency when he decided his heart wasn't in medicine. His heart was in music. He left medicine behind and threw himself into the piano. He said he was always passionate about it, he just feared disappointing his parents.

This trip was supposed to repair the damage done. Unfortunately, he never got to fix it. He'd only been here a couple days when the mysterious vanishing happened. And when he had talked to his dad there was a huge blow up. His father wanted him to reconsider his residency and had talked to some people at Northwestern. He wanted Edward to move back and continue where he had left off. His mother, Esme, said she hadn't known a thing about it. She said to him she wanted him to be happy. However, he didn't believe her when she told him that. And now he had to live with his angry final words.

The doors opened on the 18th floor and Alice dashed down the hall to her room with Jasper hot on her heels. Rosalie grinned and sprinted off in the other direction. I laughed to myself and wandered to the room I had chosen. I opened the door with the magnetic key and set my bag down. I still thought it was strange to live here, but Alice was set on it.

After initially breaking into the building Jasper found directions in the manager's office on how to program the room keys. After a few tries he'd finally figured out the program and we'd all been given two keys to our rooms, plus programmed spares we were going to keep in a housekeeping closet on the floor we stayed on.

I heard the door open in the room next to mine. I knew Edward was back up with the luggage and boxes. I peered into the hallway and saw him dragging his one suitcase into his room. The cart he used was piled with two more of my suitcases and several boxes of stuff from home. I felt a pang of sadness in my chest. I had my belongings from home, precious photo albums, treasured books and other items I couldn't live without. Edward didn't have any of these things. Books and music were replaceable; we could easily walk to Borders and get those things. But getting something he really treasured would be more difficult.

Edward grabbed a box off the cart and carried it into my room. "My god, what's in there? Bricks?" he smirked.

"No, in case you can't read the side, it says books," I said haughtily.

He grinned at me and grabbed the next. I smirked because I knew all my hardcovers were in it.

"Shit, I think I sprained something," he cursed.

"Jeez Edward, didn't you notice how heavy they were when you loaded the cart?" I asked him.

"Uh, Emmett loaded. He didn't make it seem like they were this heavy. Of course he's like the Hulk…" Edward trailed off.

"EMMETT SMASH!" Emmett's booming voice came from the hallway.

"Emmett, don't be a tool," Rosalie said, followed by a smack and whimper from Emmett.

Rosalie sashayed into my room, followed by Emmett who was rubbing the back of his head. "Alice says unpack later. We're supposed to go have some fun now. Or as she said, _The best shopping of our lives awaits, _it was kind of scary."

"Ugh, shopping already," I whined.

"Yes, shopping already Bella. Emmett and Edward need more clothes since they both only packed for a week. And your wardrobe needs updating. Michigan Avenue is our mall Bella, we can go anywhere," Alice said gleefully.

I opened my mouth to protest, but one look from Alice kept me silent. I agreed that Edward and Emmett would both need clothes to supplement their wardrobe. I didn't agree that I needed anymore clothes. Telling Alice that would be suicide, and I'm just not quite there yet.

She decided that our first couple destinations would be department stores. Neiman Marcus, of course, Macy's and Saks would be first.

"Oooh and Bloomie's," Alice squealed.

"Alice, can we limit it to 3 stores for today, maybe even just two?" I begged her.

"Fine, we'll start with Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's," she said.

///\\\///\\\///\\\

We made our way from our new home to Bloomingdale's. The day was clear and sunny. The six of us took our time walking, taking in the abandoned sights around us. Even though days had past since the world changed, we were constantly amazed at the fact we hadn't run into another person.

Alice chattered about what we she thought the guys needed. They all nodded their heads in agreement to whatever she said. Jasper was accustomed to this, but Edward and Emmett learned quickly that Alice usually got her way. Jasper also knew how to quiet her down. He leaned in and gave her a kiss. She gave a little sigh and grabbed his hand. I chuckled to myself, it worked every time.

I glanced at Emmett and Rosalie; they walked with their arms linked together, heads bowed. He ghosted kisses on her forehead and she sighed in approval. I suddenly felt a wave of jealousy wash through me. I wanted what they had, I wanted someone to hold my hand and reassure me that we'd be ok. I wanted soft kisses and hard ones. I wanted it all. My only potential partner was sinking in a sea of depression. I glanced sideways at Edward. He was looking at the couples and their displays of affection. He stole a peek at me. When he saw I was looking at him, he quickly shifted his eyes to the ground.

I shrugged my shoulders and kept pace with the group. I could see Alice vibrating with excitement as we walked down Michigan Avenue. The stretch of street was known as the Magnificent Mile, was renowned for its shopping, and I had a feeling that I had better get used to being here. We passed a Border's Book Shop while walking to Bloomingdale's.

I smirked at Alice. "We're going there after clothes, just so you know."

"Don't you have enough books, Bella," Alice whined.

"Don't you have enough clothes, Ali-cat," I retorted.

"This isn't for me; it's for the boys…and you. You need a new look. Oooooh!! Makeover time, Rosie, we need to get into that salon in the Tower." Alice clapped her hands.

"Oh hell…" I grumbled.

"Here we are," Alice chirped perkily.

Edward and I groaned in unison. Oh no, this was not going to be fun for either of us. I'd found my ally in this shopping excursion. If it was hard to rein Alice in on her credit card limit, it was going to be nearly impossible now.

///\\\///\\\

An hour later we were still sitting in the men's section. Edward and Emmett were playing along with Alice nicely and giving a fashion show. They tried on everything that Alice tossed at them.

"Oh my god, Emmett you have to try this on, ooh and this too. Wait…this one too. No, no, try these pants with this sweater. Perfect, just perfect," Alice purred as she tossed them over the door into the dressing room.

I rolled my eyes at Alice. She treated them like her own personal life-sized Ken dolls. Emmett stepped out of the dressing room and did a little spin.

"Yeah, Emmy, really sexy," I snorted at Emmett in the khaki's and green sweater. He looked positively preppy. Not really his style from what I could tell.

Emmett glared at me and stomped back into the dressing room. Edward popped out of his room in fitted dark jeans and a black t-shirt. Alice motioned for him to give a little spin. He sighed, but complied with her command. I felt my mouth well up with drool. The jeans hugged his firm butt perfectly. He stooped to pull on some shoes Alice handed him. It afforded me a chance to unabashedly stare at him. Rosalie elbowed me in the side and smirked.

"You've a little drool right there," she whispered.

I frowned at her and turned back to the boys. They were already in the dressing room putting their Alice-approved outfits on. She was stuffing their new clothes into several bags. I was impressed with the damage she could do in an hour. She turned to me and smiled sweetly.

"Your turn Miss Swan, to the ladies department," she ordered.

The three boys gave me an apologetic look and ran off to the front of the store. I groaned internally realizing I was now left to the devices of Alice and Rosalie.

"Wait a minute," Alice shouted.

The three of them froze just feet from freedom. They turned slowly to face a stern Alice.

"Please don't go far; we have no way of communicating. Why don't you guys plan on being back here at 3:00 or so. I'd appreciate if you could find us a snack in the meantime and bring it back. We'll be here a while," she said sweetly.

They all nodded in unison and dashed out the door, something about video games was being discussed.

"Don't forget the food," Rose hollered.

"Ok, Bella lets get this done. We have two hours to transform you from boring teacher to temptress. Edward will notice you by the time I'm finished with you," Alice said as we walked to the ladies dressing rooms.

"Uh, Alice, what do you mean?" I asked innocently.

"She means that you are clearly lusting after him and he's too dumb to notice it," Rosalie giggled.

"Yeah, I put him in those jeans on purpose. I think your eyes bugged out of your head like a cartoon character. You got it bad babe," Alice said. She smirked and headed off to the clothes racks.

"I-I-I…ah…don't know what you mean." I blushed.

"Bullshit, I call bullshit on you, Bella. Hmm…I think I have an idea," Rosalie murmured as she followed Alice to the clothes racks.

I shifted nervously in my seat. I hated when Rose called bullshit. It was a thing we did. If we knew someone was lying or exaggerating about something we called bullshit. This gave us the opportunity to call them out on it. I'd done it numerous times to both of them. Whatever idea Rose had was not going to bode well for me, they rarely did. I sat thinking about Rosalie's brilliant ideas from the past. There was the time she thought dance lessons would help my clumsiness. I ended up breaking my ankle and the dance instructor's nose. I landed on my ass but somehow as I twisted gracelessly to the ground I smacked the poor guy in the nose and broke it. I sighed; no good could come of this.

"In the dressing room and strip. Then put this on," Alice ordered and handed me a black dress.

"Alice, here's the rest. I found a rolling rack. I hanged it all up," Rosalie said.

I glowered at them both and stepped into the dressing room. The rack seemingly had dozens of dressing, shirts, skirts and pants on it. It caused me pain even thinking of trying them all on. I stepped out in the black Nicole Miller dress. The empire waist dress had a v-neck and back. The layered look of the bottom of the dress reminded me of a cupcake. The lace details were romantic. I hated to admit it, but I loved it. It was a bit short, but it would be perfect for a summer evening date.

Would I still have summer dates? Would I ever have another date? I questioned my need for the dress. As these thoughts raced through my head, Alice handed me some strappy, low heels. I sat down to slide on the shoes when I heard Jasper and Emmett coming in. I could smell a pizza and groaned in pleasure at the thought of eating.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa, looking foxy Bella-boo," Emmett laughed and let out a long whistle.

"Wow Bella, as long as I've known you, I've never seen you in a dress like that," Jasper commented.

I felt my cheeks heat with embarrassment at their compliments. Emmett set down the pizza box on a table and popped in open. He grabbed a piece and stuffed it in his mouth. I felt my mouth water as I watched him stuff his face. I looked from my dress to the food. Alice was occupied assembling looks for me and Rose was helping her. Surely I could eat a piece without spilling on it.

I took a bite of the pizza and groaned, "Ungh, this is so good. Where did you get it?"

"There was a pizza place a few blocks over. We made it ourselves. We're good hunters," Emmett said.

"Hey guys, I've got some drinks here…" Edward started to say, but stopped mid-sentence when he saw me.

"She's hot, right man? I say Bella should only wear skirts from now on," Emmett chuckled. I blushed and Edward seemed to as well.

"I've been telling her that for years. Bella, go change out of that dress now before you get sauce on it. Try this on." Alice handed me some skinny jeans and a blue halter top. I looked at the pizza fleetingly and retreated to the dressing room.

"Edward, you can close your mouth Bella isn't out here anymore," Rosalie hissed.

I smirked to myself; maybe Alice was right after all. I ignored her order to put on the jeans and threw on the Juicy sweatpants and t-shirt that was hanging up for me to put on when we were done.

I stepped out and shrunk away from Alice's death glare. I stuck my tongue out at her and sat down with the pizza.

"I'm sorry Ali. I tell you what, everything on that rack we can take home. I promise I'll wear it. But that is contingent on me not trying anything else on here today." I smirked.

"But Bella, you only tried on one thing…come on!" Alice pouted.

"I'll let you cut my hair if you never make me do this again. I'll even let you style it sometimes. I'm positive everything you've picked will fit beautifully. You have impeccable taste." I sucked up to her. I really never wanted to have to try things on ever again.

"Ok, but if there is _any _reason you need a special outfit, you have to allow me to pick it out and you have to try it on. It's the only way to be sure." She countered.

"Fine, but that means you can only style my hair with my permission." I knew she'd find any reason to get me out here. Even Alice could make a special occasion out of nothing.

Alice grumbled but stuck her hand out to me, "Deal."

///\\\///\\\

We finished the pizza the boys had made and debated about what to do next. Alice was wiggling in Jasper's lap; I knew an idea was about to pop out.

"Well, Bella wanted to stop at Border's and look at more unnecessary books…what!! Anyways, why don't we grab some movies and make margaritas and hang out. Jasper and I have a great big living room with a big flat screen. I'm totally in the mood for a horror movie marathon." Alice suggested.

"Great idea Ali! Right guys," Rosalie said with a wink to Emmett.

"Yeah! I'm for it!" Emmett boomed.

"Uh, horror, really? Can it be something else?" I asked.

"What's the matter Belly-boo? Scared of a little movie?" Emmett joked.

"One, if you call me that again, I will punch you in the balls and two, no I'm not scared. I just don't like scary movies," I snapped.

"Aw, don't be like that. We'll protect you. Come on; let's go to Border's and stock up. I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting night," Emmett smiled and gathered up the bags Alice had accumulated.

We walked outside to find the guys had brought a truck over to get all the bags home. They stashed the bags in the bed then climbed in the cab of the truck. Jasper drove with Alice at his side. Rosalie climbed in Emmett's lap, taking up the last of the space.

"Man, there's not any room up here. You guys want to climb in the back?" Emmett asked.

I looked over at Edward and to the back of the truck. He smiled and climbed up. He stuck his hand out and helped me up into the bed. He spread his jacket out on the truck and motioned for me to sit. I plopped down on the coat and scooted to make room for him next to me. Edward dropped down gracefully beside me and stretched out his long legs.

"Alright Jasper, we're ready please drive carefully," I told him.

"No worry Bells. I'm a great driver," Jasper said through the window.

We got to Border's quickly and dashed inside. Alice, Rose and their boys ran to the DVD section while Edward and I wandered around the books. We'd occasionally run into each other and smile. I found the stack I had was growing too high for me to carry. I rounded a corner to put them on a nearby counter. Unfortunately, I didn't see the foot stool in the aisle and tripped. My books went flying and I went face first towards the ground.

A strong hand grabbed my arm and pulled me up to safety. I whirled around to find myself in Edward's arms. He smiled at me and softly pushed the hair out of my face. He tucked a tendril of hair behind my ear and traced my jaw with his finger.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

I nodded, unable to answer him. His green eyes searched mine cautiously.

"Ooops! Sorry to interrupt. Wanted to see if you guys were ready to go? As you were! We'll be at the front of the store," Alice giggled.

I stepped away from Edward and blushed. He smiled warmly at me and gathered my books up. I felt so cold without his arms around me. But I wasn't going to give Alice any ammunition. Now I was sure that she was planning my wedding to Edward.

I ran after her and hissed in her ear, "I fell. Edward caught me."

"Oh you're falling alright. And he will catch you. Come on, let's go back and watch these movies. It's going to be a great night. I know it," she said.

I sighed at the persistent pixie. It was going to be a long night.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I really want to thank everyone for the words of encouragement I've received here and over on Twilighted. My readers and favorites have picked up quite a bit lately and I have to say I'm just so excited about it! I apologize for any horrible grammatical errors in chs 3 – 5 they are not beta'd yet, but when they get the going over by my awesome beta I will repost them, as I did with chs 1 & 2. **

**Please read and review!**

* * *

**CH 5 – Shuttered**

Alice chattered merrily as we rode the elevator up to our rooms. Emmett, Edward and I were weighed down by the bags of wardrobe chosen by Alice. She was so pleased with her accomplishments she barely complained that I didn't try it all on….barely.

"Bella, you really should have at least tried on something, I mean…" I glared at her before she could finish her statement.

"Alice, you've picked out perfectly lovely clothes for Bella. Leave the girl alone. Let everyone get comfortable and we'll set up the movie," Jasper said.

The elevator doors opened and we all scattered to our rooms. Alice skipped down the hall with the bag of movies in her hands. Jasper was hot on her heels, nodding to the directions she was giving him.

The four of us watched as they shut their door. We agreed that we'd meet up in an hour. We all wanted to take showers and change into appropriate lounging clothes. Edward helped me get the bags in my room. He gave me a slight smile as set them on the bed.

"Alice is quite the firecracker," he commented quietly.

"She is. She comes across strong, but she's the best friend I've ever had. She's always there when you need her," I told him.

"Well, guess I better go unpack a bit. See you in an hour?" He smiled.

"Yup," I said with a pop.

I stood in the doorway and listened to his door latch shut. I quietly shut the door and turned to the mountain of bags. I sighed as I began sorting the new clothing. After it was sorted I opened my suitcases and decided to hang up what I could. I opened the closet and found there were a few hangers in there. I grabbed them and dropped them on the bed and started hanging the clothes I had brought.

I wondered where laundry facilities were in this building so I could wash the new clothes we had gotten. I figured I could wander the building tomorrow. I had to clean up before it was time to watch the movie. I grumbled to myself, I hated horror movies. Truthfully, I was the biggest chicken shit ever. I saw Alice had chosen Shutter as our movie of the night. I figured I was in trouble. Lucky Alice and Rose had guys to protect them; all I had was my old afghan from home.

I showered quickly and changed into some comfortable yoga pants and a t-shirt that read _Desmond Is My Constant_. I giggled at my extreme geekiness. Alice hated this shirt, and refused to let me wear it public. Lost was definitely my all-time favorite show and now I'd never know what the hell happened on that island.

I wondered if we took a trip to Los Angeles if we could find the unaired episodes. As I tried to figure out if we could even get out there a knock sounded gently from the door.

I opened to find Edward waiting for me wearing dark blue sweatpants and a dark shirt that read _Yatta!_ on the front. I laughed out loud at his shirt, and watched as he read mine.

"Who is Desmond? And what's a constant?" he asked.

I stared at him with my mouth agape. How could this guy be serious? He clearly watches Heroes, but not Lost. I was very disappointed with him.

"Seriously, Eddie?" He flinched at the nickname. "You watch Heroes, but not Lost?"

"Well, I've seen a few episodes, but I never really got it," he said, blushing.

"That is a tragedy of epic proportions. We will rectify it as soon as possible. Preferably tonight, so we don't have to watch some ridiculous scary movie," I said.

He leaned into me and smirked. "You aren't actually scared are you Belly-boo?"

"Just because you are gorgeous does not mean you get to use that hideous nickname Emmett made up. It will earn you a punch in the testicular area as well," I chided him.

"I'm gorgeous?" He smirked.

I flushed at his sexy grin and grabbed my blanket. "Shut up, let's go."

I walked briskly down the hallway with Edward hot on my heels. I turned to glance at him and found him still smirking.

"I'm going to whip that smirk off your face," I grumbled.

He grinned widely and chuckled, "Promise?"

"Jeez kids, keep the pillow talk somewhere else ok?" Emmett boomed from behind us.

I stopped at Alice's door and knocked, this night could not pass quickly enough for me.

"Welcome! God Bells, could you be any grumpier looking?" Alice scolded me.

"Probably, and most likely will after you make me sit through this movie. Can't we just watch something light? Not scary," I begged her.

"No way, I wanted to see this movie and it will be better all together. We all have someone to protect us," she laughed.

"Correction, you and Rose have someone. I have a blankie," I whined.

"So it is your security blankie. Thought as much," Edward sniggered.

"Ugh, whatever. Halfway through this movie you'll be begging to hide underneath my covers," I snapped.

"You have no idea," he murmured as he looked me up and down.

He blushed slightly and darted inside Alice and Jasper's room. I watched as he slid onto a loveseat and stared at his hands.

"What the…" I wondered.

Emmett and Rose filed in past me and plopped down together on the couch. Alice yanked me in and dragged me to the kitchen.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked.

"Umm…friendly banter?" I offered.

She pursed her lips at me and handed me a bowl of popcorn and three beers. She grabbed another bowl and more beers and headed to the living room. We handed out the drinks and settled in. Alice and Jasper had snuggled together on an oversized armchair, Rose and Emmett were sprawled out on the couch and Edward had taken residence on the loveseat.

I debated between the floor and next to Edward on the loveseat. He'd made fun of my blankie, so I was not going to give him the satisfaction of the security it provided. I stretched out on the floor in front of him and munched on the popcorn.

Alice hit play and settled back into Jasper's arms. The movie started innocently enough, I didn't find I was too scared. As the movie progressed I hid under my blanket. I peeked around at my friends to find them watching through their fingers. Since Edward was directly behind me I couldn't see if he was hiding. I assumed he was too manly to need to hide. During a scene where the lead actor was being tormented by the ghost of an ex-girlfriend I felt my blanket shake. I turned to find Edward wide-eyed and frightened sliding onto the ground next to me.

"Um, you look real scared Bella. Thought you might want some company," he whispered shakily.

"Sure mister. I think you're scared and seek the protection of my mighty afghan," I sniggered.

"Scoot over and lemme under that thing." He slid under the covers with me and pulled the afghan over his head.

I glanced at him and he gave me his adorable crooked smile. Just then horrific screaming blared out of the television scaring me silly. I instinctively scooted into Edward's arms as he reached for me. We cowered there together during the rest of the movie in the safety of my blankie.

"Bet you won't make fun of my trusty blankie anymore," I whispered to him.

"Definitely not," he murmured and pulled me into his chest.

I sighed appreciatively at the feeling of his strong arms around me. I hadn't felt this safe and secure in a long time.

The credits began rolling and Alice flicked the light on. I glanced at Alice who was exchanging meaningful looks with Rosalie. They both stared at me and grinned devilishly.

"Bella, you have to see my closet. It's so fabulous. Come with me." She grabbed my arm and dragged me from my cocoon with Edward.

"Uh Alice, can't it wait until tomorrow?" I asked.

"No way, you have to see it now," Alice giggled.

I looked back at the boys pleadingly. Jasper and Emmett shrugged their shoulders and discussed what video game they should play. Edward smiled and hopped up on the couch with my afghan. I watched as he inhaled the scent of blanket and sighed. I wanted nothing more than to curl up with him and fall asleep.

Alice yanked me into her room and out of my stupor. She slammed the door shut and looked at me expectantly.

"So, ah, your closet?" I asked.

"Please Bella, that can wait. This was a ruse to get you alone." She grinned.

"Yeah, we wanna know what was going on under that blanket?" Rosalie leered.

I blushed at the insinuation that anything had happened. Not that I was opposed to anything. Edward was gorgeous. But I was certain he wouldn't be interested in me.

"Oooh Rose, look, she's blushing. There was something going on," Alice said in a sing-song voice.

"No. Nothing happened. He was just making sure I wasn't scared. It was quite innocent." I protested.

"Sure Bells. Maybe nothing happened now, but don't tell me you didn't want to jump his gorgeous bones," Rose said.

I closed my eyes and imagined being back in his arms. Long and strong, wrapped around me, he'd whisper in my ear and ghost kisses on my neck. I smiled at the thought of his lips on me.

"Just as we thought, Mission Get-Bella-and-Edward-Together is go." Alice grinned.

"Um, Alice, I'm just not sure. I really don't think he wants a relationship. He's lost his parents. It's all so complicated," I said sadly.

"Trust us Bella. That man is into you. I agree he's going through something and may not know it yet, but he will want you," Rosalie assured me.

"You just wait Bella. By the end of this summer you two won't be living in separate rooms. I know it," Alice said.

***

We joined the boys in the living room and watched them play games. Eventually they stopped and we all sat around chatting comfortably. We discussed plans for the next day and the future. It was a new world and we could do nearly anything we wanted. We discussed the possibility of other people out there and what we would do if we ran into them.

"Maybe we should get swords or something for protection. You never know when a ninja might pop out," Emmett laughed.

"Seriously Em, ninjas?" Rosalie smacked Emmett on the back of the head.

"He's not wrong. I mean he's wrong about the ninjas. But he's not about the protection. Especially if we aren't with you girls, I'd feel better if you guys carried some pepper spray or something, just in case," Jasper said calmly.

Edward and Emmett nodded in agreement. Rosalie huffed indignantly at the statement.

"We aren't saying you can't take care of yourselves. But honestly, it would make all of us feel better if no one went out alone and we all had something as protection." Edward tried being diplomatic with her.

"I agree with them actually. After walking alone to find you guys, I'm freaked out at the thought someone else could have gotten to me first," I admitted.

Alice and Rose nodded in agreement with us and we arranged to find pepper spray for later. The conversation carried on easily well into the night. Eventually we all fell asleep around the living room.

***

I woke up around 10:30 the following morning. Everyone around me was fast asleep. I padded lightly into the kitchen and peered into the cabinets. In Alice's rush to make sure were fashionably dressed; she failed to realize that we might need food. I glanced back at my sleeping friends and realized Edward wasn't there.

I frowned in disappointment and wondered if he'd gone back to his own room. I wondered what would have driven him away and hoped it wasn't me. I thought maybe I had been too forward during the movie when I scooted into his arms. He had appeared to be so welcoming at that time; I didn't see how I could have done anything wrong.

Just as tears threatened to well up in my eyes I heard a noise in the hallway. I peeked out the doorway and saw him standing there with a maid's cart loaded with food and cooking supplies.

He glanced up at me and smiled sheepishly. "I figured everyone would be hungry. When I saw there was no food I went down the kitchen and grabbed some basics."

I picked up the can of coffee and smiled. "You are god-like. I would never survive without this."

He grinned ear to ear and pushed the cart inside. We began setting up the stuff he'd grabbed. He started making eggs and toast, while I prepared the coffee. While it brewed I cut up some fruit for a simple salad.

Our friends woke up slowly and were pleasantly surprised with the breakfast we had made up for them. We sat around trying to decide what to do today. But our opinions were so varied I didn't see how we could come up with one plan.

Alice and Rosalie wanted to shop more. Alice's eyes were wild with desire at the thought of everything at her fingertips and totally free. I felt guilt at taking so much from the stores. I wondered what we would do if suddenly people came back. I didn't know, but it seemed even if they came back, the world had already changed.

Emmett and Jasper seemed happy to just lie around and play video games. Alice wasn't having any of that though. She told them that her and Rose would probably need help carrying bags.

"Babe, just take a car. You don't have to walk everywhere," Emmett pleaded, his eyes darting between her and the big screen television on the wall.

The girls scowled at him until Emmett mentioned he saw a canary yellow Porsche in the parking garage. Alice's face lit up in excitement, the fell in disappointment when she realized there would be no keys.

"That's what you think little pixie. It happens to be in the valet stand. It's like someone was going to park it when they…ya know…disappeared. I grabbed the keys thinking it would be fine transportation for you ladies." He tossed Alice the key and smiled like the cat that ate the canary…yellow Porsche that is.

"Ohmigosh-Emmett-Itotallyloveyou-somuch," Alice giggled.

"He's mine bitch, back off. Thanks Emmy-bear," Rosalie purred.

"Hey Edward, what about you?" Jasper asked.

"I was thinking of exploring the hotel a bit. See what's around here," he said.

"I'm sure Bella would love to do that too, wouldn't you Bells. That way no one is alone." Alice nodded.

"Uh, yeah, I was actually hoping to find the laundry anyhow," I agreed.

"Great, it's a date. Me and Rose, Em and Jaz and you and Edward." Alice grinned.

"Sounds perfect," Edward said.

"Now get out of here. You guys cooked, Jasper and I will clean up. Rose, want to meet up in an hour to go?" Alice said.

Rosalie nodded and with Emmett headed back to their room. Based on the look of lust in their eyes, I was relieved to not be sharing walls with them.

***

About an hour and a half later Edward and I were riding an elevator down to the lobby to begin our exploration. We stood in the middle of the spacious room and looked around. We followed the sign marked spa down a hallway. We entered the room and flipped on the lights.

It looked like Alice's paradise. I feared the potential makeover's I would end up having here. We walked back into rooms marked employees only and found plenty of robes, towels and laundry facilities.

If we couldn't find the main housekeeping offices, at least we had this. Edward had walked into one of the massage rooms and stretched out on the table.

"If only a masseuse was still around," he drawled lazily.

I imagined giving him a relaxing massage, light music in the room, candles flickering softly. The candlelight would make shadows that danced across his perfect back and shoulders. I breathed a sigh of desire for him. He flipped over onto his stomach and looked at me intently. I blushed and scurried out of the room. I was more than happy to give him a full-body massage. I felt like he could read my mind and he knew I wanted him. I only wished he felt the same for me.

He dashed out after me and called my name, "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just curious what else is around here," I stammered.

We continued climbing floors in the building. There were a couple fancy restaurants, a fabulous club, a gym and a pool. It seemed like everything we could need was here. If we couldn't get it here, we were within steps of some of the best shopping in the United States.

We found the big housekeeping stations in the basement. Industrial sized washers and dryers with all the products we could ever need. Satisfied with our discoveries and hungry for food we wandered outside for fresh air. A small café across the street had a sign advertising it's specials from the day of the vanishing. We went inside and into the kitchen. Edward went through the refrigerator and pantry until he located his desired ingredients.

"I'm making you my famous grilled cheese sandwich and some french fries. That ok?" he asked.

"Sounds great." I smiled.

I watched him work busily in the kitchen. The food smelled great, Edward was a great cook. I scribbled notes on a piece of paper about where we found everything.

"Whatcha writing?" He wondered.

"Just making notes about where all the various facilities are in that building. That way everyone will know." I said.

"Cool, I was thinking we should have like walkie-talkie's for everyone. Something with a decent range, since cell phones don't seem to work. Would walkie's work?" he wondered out loud.

"I'm sure we can find some and try them out. I'm going to find something to drink. What would you like?" I asked him.

"I could really go for something cold and caffeinated." He grinned.

"Coming right up." I smiled back at walked to the front of the café.

The cooler next to the register held cans of soda and bottles of water, juice and beer. I grabbed a can of Pepsi for him and a bottle of apple juice for me. I sat down at the counter and hollered to him in kitchen, "If that food isn't out here soon, I'm not leaving you a tip!"

I heard plates rattling in the kitchen and a soft chuckle. He emerged from the back with two grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches on a thick wheat bread and potato wedges on the side. He set a plate in front of me, I eyed it hungrily.

I devoured the sandwich and fries in no time and washed it all down with the juice. He smiled as he watched me greedily lick ketchup off my fingers.

"That's it; you are definitely our new little family chef. That was so good," I said, stuffing the last fry into my mouth.

"Happy to please you, gorgeous." He grinned back at me.

We cleaned up the mess we made in the kitchen and walked back to the hotel. We went to see if Jasper and Emmett were done gaming. We found them racing Mario Kart on the Wii, they offered us each a controller and we joined in the fun.

It was amazing how much time could pass playing that game. What seemed like moments later, was actually three hours later. Alice and Rosalie came home with their haul. They used a cart from the concierge to bring their load of bags upstairs.

Alice was glowing with excitement at her finds. I heard Rosalie whisper something to Emmett about LaPerla and they dashed back to their room. I rolled my eyes; it must be nice to be in the honeymoon phase of a relationship. But who was I kidding, I was just jealous.

My friendship with Edward was growing every day. We'd been forcibly paired off by our friends, deep down I wanted him to want to be paired off with me in every way. I hoped Alice's plan as matchmaker would work; I wasn't going to try and stop her anymore. Electricity flowed between Edward and me. I could feel that we belonged together. Maybe once he grieved his parents, he'd feel it too.

***

Each day passed in similar fashion, we'd explore the city in a way we'd never been able to before. It was summer in Chicago the days could be oppressively hot but our hotel was cool. We'd go to the movies and watch whatever they had in their storerooms. Jasper proved to be very useful with technology. He could figure out how to run anything with an instruction manual. Emmett and Edward tried to help, but usually just got in the way.

One breezy summer evening we went to Navy Pier and had a picnic dinner by the water. It was so perfect and romantic. The six of us sat around a large blanket sipping wine slowly and enjoying the simplicity of our new lives. Jasper stood up and excused himself and dashed off towards the Ferris wheel.

"Jasper is going to see if he can turn it on. He was here the other day trying to figure it out. We thought moonlight rides would be so fun. You guys will go first, and then Jaz will show Edward how to run it so we can have a turn." Alice grinned mischievously.

"What are you planning Ali?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said innocently.

Moments later Jasper flagged us to him. The lights were on the wheel and it seemed ready to go.

"Jasper are you sure this is safe? I mean you aren't trained," I said nervously.

"No worries Bella. I've done a couple successful practice runs and I'm confident it will be fine. Please, step in." He held the door open for me.

Edward filed in behind me and the door snapped shut. "What about Emmett and Rose?"

Our gondola moved up a few spots and Jasper shouted up to us, "They are getting alone. You want a romantic ride with Mr. and Mrs. Can't-keep-their-hands-to-themselves?"

"I suppose not. Good idea. We'll be fine just the two of us," Edward shouted back.

I felt my hands begin to grow sweaty, my pulse quickened and my breathing hitched. The last time we were here was before the vanishing. I became very nervous and wasn't masking it well.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked, voice full of concern.

"I'm slightly afraid of heights, well not slightly so much as totally terrified. Plus, the last time we were here was the day before everyone disappeared." I said shakily.

Edward sat next to me and rubbed my back soothingly. "Shhh, it will be ok. I'm here with you."

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I could smell the water and Edward. He smelled perfect, like freshly cut grass in summer, and slightly spicy. I opened my eyes and found him watching me carefully.

"Come here." He opened his arms to invite me closer.

I scooted into his arms and stared into the sky. The night was clear and the moon was full. Edward held me and never spoke a word. We sat silently for our whole ride, comfortable in each others arms. It felt like home.

* * *

**End Note: Phew, this chapter took me about 2 weeks to finish. I hope you enjoyed it! Two questions for my lovely readers out there:**

**What is the scariest movie of all time in your opinion? **

**Most romantic date you ever had? Cause I gotta say moonlight rides with shmexy men like Edward would be pretty damn awesome.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Reposted! I made some edits based on a suggestion from a friend. If you read what was posted yesterday give it a re-read today!**

**A/N: **I just want to thank everyone for the reviews I've received on this story and people marking it a favorite. It means a lot to me. I know it's been a while since I updated Vanished, but I kind of hit a brick wall and have been amusing myself with silly one-shots.

Here's chapter 6, a turning point for the story. It's a short chapter, but crucial to the overall story. Please read and review. Thanks!

Ch 6 – No Power, More Problems

The summer was great. It didn't seem like anything could go wrong. Then it got hot…like scorching hot outside. Chicago in the summer can easily hit the 90's and factoring in the stifling humidity, well you get the picture. It's freaking hot. Then we had a brownout and lost all our electricity for several hours. That made us think about having provisions in case of a longer one.

I thought back to the first brownout we experienced.

"_Emmett! It's so hot outside, we want to go swimming." Rosalie pouted._

"_Babe, we're in the middle of an epic battle here. Can't you see that," Emmett protested. _

"_No, babe. What I see is a guy sitting in his room alone, while his friends play on Xboxes in their rooms," she snorted. _

"_Rosie, baby, it's like old times back home. We'd all get on and play. We even got walkie-talkie's." He pointed to the headset._

"_Can't you guys take a break? Wouldn't swimming be refreshing?" Alice offered._

"_There's a pool in the health club on the first floor. Why do you need us?" Emmett pouted._

"_Cause we want to sun while we swim. And the only pool here is indoors," Rose pouted back._

_I could see Emmett's resolve breaking. He was considering it. _

"_And I got this new teeny, tiny bikini too," she said seductively. _

"_Well…ahhh…hold on," he stammered. _

_It was clear either Edward or Jasper were talking to him through the walkie's. His face set sternly and turned to Rose. _

"_I'm sorry babe. Can we take you guys later?" He flinched back from her murderous glare. _

"_Whatever Emmett…you know you aren't staying with me tonight. Find another room. We'll just wander the city alone until we find a suitable pool," Rose snapped._

_Rose turned on her heel and stormed out. Emmett's eyes wavered between the door and the game. I heard ringing laughter coming from the headphones and an exclamation of victory over Emmett._

_He grumbled about the distraction to them and brought his character back to the game. _

"_Brave man Emmett, you are a brave man to piss her off. Better hope we don't meet a hot cabana boy that will appreciate her…teeny…tiny…hot pink bikini." Alice grinned._

_Alice skipped out after Rosalie. I shrugged my shoulders at him and followed them back to my room, the only boy free zone. _

"_Can you believe them? They'd rather play games than see us in bikini's. We need to get their heads checked," Rose growled. _

"_Why don't we just sun on the roof, then go swimming," I suggested. _

"_Because it's not the same," Alice whined. _

_Suddenly, the lights flickered on and off. The clock display began flashing 12:00am. We looked around curiously. _

_We heard the doors open in the hallway. The guys convened out there, we could hear their angry grumbles. _

"_Not funny girls. How did you do that?" Jasper asked. _

"_Not us Jasper. We've been in here the whole time," Alice said back._

_They all glared at us and went back to their rooms. We giggled at how childish they were behaving. We grabbed our beach bags and made for the elevator. We decided sunning on the roof would have to suffice. Alice and Rose could punish their men how they saw fit. _

_The doors opened on the elevator part way when the lights flickered again. Rose stepped in and pressed the roof button; I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. _

"_Wait a sec." I looked at the elevator._

_The doors closed and it moved up. Somewhere between floors 54 and 55 the power went out completely. The elevator stopped in its progress up. Rose's face went white. _

"_We could have been trapped in there," she whispered. _

_The guys poured out again to find us standing by the elevators. _

"_It wasn't us," I huffed._

"_Yeah, we almost got on that elevator and could have been trapped." Alice frowned. _

"_We know it wasn't you guys. It appears to be a brownout. The power can't last forever," Edward said, worry in his voice._

After that, we stock piled water, canned and dry goods, anything that wouldn't stale easily. Twinkies were Emmett's request. He swears up and down they will never go bad. He cites Zombieland as his reference for this. We found a place in a sub-basement that stayed dry and cool. We could also access it even if the power was out.

These occasions when the power went out also made us prepare for cooking outside. We stocked up on propane and charcoal. Barbecuing outside was fine with us. It was like a party all the time. We'd still managed despite the rolling brownouts. We had taken to putting out rain barrels to collect water for showering and cooking.

Things were going great until late September. We'd lived through the brownouts, including one that lasted days. We really weren't sure how the power came back on, but we didn't question it. However as temperatures cooled, we wondered what we would do if it was sub-zero instead of ungodly hot outside.

We had been camped out in the lobby for a quite a while, the loss of power and the fact we were staying several stories up made us rethink our living situation. A few days later we got a taste of frigid weather.

We'd settled down in the lobby, taking bedding and cushions from the spa on that level. We put up tents and settled in nicely. We actually found we enjoyed the camp outs a lot. We ate, drank, laughed about nonsense, and played games. It wasn't as glamorous as our abandoned suites, but it was home. One night the temperatures dropped suddenly and substantially. We all woke up shivering in the dark. We huddled together in Jasper and Alice's tent trying to work out a game plan.

"Space heaters? We can each use some to keep us warm at night," Emmett suggested.

"Brillant, monkey man. But what if the power goes out!" Rose snorted.

"Well, we could build a fire," Emmett offered.

"Great, I'd love to die from smoke inhalation," Rose said sarcastically.

"Well fuck Rose, why don't you give us an idea? At least Emmett is trying," Alice snapped through chattering teeth.

"I have an idea," I said cautiously. "Though I don't know if you guys will like it."

Edward nodded at me to continue, he knew what I was referring to. We had become very close over the summer. To my dismay it wasn't in the romantic direction. We were each others confidants. I helped him work through the anguish of losing his parents and he helped me deal with the stress over not knowing whether my father was here or not. I'd told him secretly that I wanted to go home to Washington and see if Charlie was still there.

The thought of him alone there tore at my heart. We were never really close growing up, but I felt a bond to the strong, silent man that he was. I had discussed with Edward making a pilgrimage of sorts out west. The extreme history nerd in me was excited at the thought of blazing our own personal Oregon Trail out there, or Washington Trail as it were.

"What's the idea, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"I'd been thinking with the power outages that it will be difficult to manage here in the winter. We'd most assuredly have to rely on a fire for our heat. Because let's be honest, the power isn't going to stay on much longer.

"What if we moved on to somewhere more…temperate? I'm sure we can find a vehicle big enough to carry us elsewhere. Gas stations are all over, so I'm positive we can keep filling up along the way," I said nervously.

"Is there somewhere in particular you wanted to go?" Alice asked.

"Actually, I'd really like to go back to Forks and see if my dad is there. We wouldn't have to stay there permanently. Actually, I'd rather not. Forks can get cold in the winter. I was thinking somewhere in California for a permanent residence." I looked around at my friends nervously.

"That sounds good to me. When do we go?" Emmett grinned.

Everyone else nodded in agreement with him. I breathed a sigh of relief. I feared they wouldn't want to go and I would never know if my father was still with us. I felt Edward squeeze my arm gently. I glanced at him and he smiled.

"I told you they'd go for it," he whispered softly.

"I guess we have some serious planning to do. How are we going to get all of us out there, along with supplies and gear?" Rosalie wondered out loud.

"A covered wagon…duh." I grinned.

"Ok Bella I know you like 'Little House on the Prairie' and stuff, but where are we going to get horses?" Rosalie said.

"Give me some credit Rose. I'm not talking a literal covered wagon, more a covered wagon two-point-oh." I smiled.

"Ok, yeah, but ah…I still don't get it. "Emmett shrugged.

"You know we can find like a Winnebago, like a camping trailer or something. Rose can use her wicked modifying skills to make it home. It will take some time to get it set up, but I'm sure we can be headed West in a month, maybe less," I said.

"Well, let's get started. Rose, you and Emmett find a suitable Winnie. We need to find one today if possible. I'll need to know how much storage is available for food, clothes, supplies, stuff like that. Bella, you and Edward should make the route we'll follow. Jazz and I will inventory and organize supplies. Got it everyone?" Alice was an unstoppable planner. She hopped up in the tent, wide eyed and ready to go.

"Hey Ali-cat? Can we wait until the sun rises?" Jasper said, pulling her back down the warmth.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I just got excited." She blushed.

She snuggled back up to Jasper and wiggled excitedly. I could see the planning wheels turn in her head. We chattered about the plans and traveling out West. I was excited to plan our route with Edward. In my head, I already knew exactly which way I wanted to go.

The talking ended and we drifted back to sleep until the sun rose.

Armed with our assignments from Alice, in the morning we prepared for our journey west. Emmett and Rosalie found some maps and a phone book and made a list of the place there might be a decent Winnie.

Alice and Jasper went to the sub-basement storage to make a list of the supplies we had down there. They also sat down and listed out the other gear we would need. We knew it would take a few days to drive there. There was also discussion of making stops here and there in places we wanted to see.

Edward and I walked to Border's to get some atlas' to start planning our route. He even suggested we find a big map of the United States. We figured we could highlight the route and hang it up in the Winnie, this way everyone could see where we were headed.

We wandered through the store to the travel section. I grabbed a couple atlases and thumbed through the pages. Edward searched the shelf for a larger map but didn't find one.

"You find the right atlas. I'm going to find a big map." He grinned.

I nodded and watched him take long strides to the stairs. I sighed heavily, wishing he would notice me as more than a friend. I let my mind wander to the countless days spent poolside. Edward stretched out in the sun in his board shorts and nothing else.

I shook my head, willing the image to leave my mind. I needed to focus on finding good maps. After my successful search, I had moved to the travel book section to wait for Edward. I was so engrossed in a book about Oregon I hasn't heard Edward return.

He gave a tug on my pony tail and I rocketed forward in fear. I banged my head into the shelf then stumbled backwards landing squarely on my rear.

"Oh my god, Bella! I didn't mean to scare you! Are you ok?" He crouched down next to me.

I rubbed my head gingerly. I could feel a small bump forming. Edward's eyes were panicked, still waiting for my response. He ran his long fingers through my hair, searching for the bump.

He found it and assessed it. I knew it was nothing more than just a bump. He continued trailing his fingers through my hair letting them trace down my jaw line. My skin raised in goose bumps at his touch.

"Are you ok?" he whispered.

I nodded and moved to get up. He jumped up and offered me his hands. He helped me up, but didn't release my hand. His free hand pushed a wayward hair out of my face.

"Let's get back to the hotel and rest that pretty head." He smiled.

To be honest, I'd already forgotten I'd even bumped it.

As Edward and I made our way back to the hotel we heard a horn. We turned around to see a large white and blue RV headed toward us. It looked perfect from the outside. I could just picture Emmett driving it, grinning ear to ear. It stopped next to us and the door popped open.

"Hey kids! Want a ride to the hotel in your new home?" Emmett boomed loudly.

"Of course," I giggled.

We stepped in and we taken aback at how nice it was. Two beige couches were along the sides near the driver's cabin. A small dinette was in the middle of the camper where the kitchen was located. I was shocked to see a stove, sink and small dishwasher included. Further inspection showed me there was even a refrigerator and microwave built in among the plentiful cabinets and storage the kitchen offered.

At the back there were a couple closets outside the "master bedroom", as well as a bathroom with shower. The bedroom had a queen bed and ample closet space, I some how knew this space would end up being Alice's. The bed lifted to provide more storage.

Emmett told us about all the storage you could access from the outside, including a very large built in cooler. He was so proud of the find. Rosalie promised she could make sure it ran smoothly. Emmett was more concerned about being able to hook up a DVD player and xbox to the flat screen TV that hung above the doorway to the driver's cabin.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at Emmett and parked in front of the lobby. We all got out and ran in to get Alice and Jasper. They had also made great progress and had lists written of what we would probably need. Alice surveyed all the storage and seemed pleased. She made notes of what should go where.

Edward and I stretched out in the lobby with our atlas' and guide books. I unfolded the large map and spread it out on the floor. In my mind I knew the general direction I wanted to head. Emmett was from Portland, I didn't see how we could travel out without stopping at his home.

Edward was living in Seattle, so we'd also have to make a stop there before Forks. Rose and Jasper had family in Denver, so I marked a stop there as well. The route wasn't terribly direct, but I didn't figure we'd be making a cross country journey like this ever again. We had to take advantage of it.

In the end, our journey would take us through nine states total. I marked where the atlas said there could be points of interest and where the mostly likely gas stations would be. I was confident in our route.

"That looks great Bells. Is there nowhere Alice would prefer to stop? We have stops for everyone else," Edward asked.

"Alice is adopted and has lived in Chicago for a long time now. I asked her that. She said whatever route I planned, was good by her." I smiled.

He nodded in understanding and stood to gather our maps. After stacking them neatly on the counter he went to help Em and Jasper load the Winnie with supplies. I walked out to see if I could help Alice with her planning, as I had no way of helping Rosalie with whatever she was doing under the hood.

"Ali, what can I do?" I asked.

Alice browsed through her list. I marveled at how organized she was. She had a list of what each of us had room to bring, how much food and water we could bring and other supplies.

"I think it's under control. The hardest part will be deciding what possessions to bring. How am I to limit my wardrobe choices?" Alice whined.

"I know Al. You'll do it. Remember, once we reach our final destination we can go shopping again. Basically you are packing for the road trip." I reassured her.

"Ohmigosh you are so right. I should look at this positively. It means a new opportunity for shopping! I love you Bells," she squealed.

She flung her tiny form at me and enveloped me in a tight hug. This was going to be an interesting journey.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Well we've made it to chapter 7! I wasn't sure that it would ever be complete. I muddled my way through so forgive anything that seems incoherent. Remember this bad boy is not beta'd. But it's on its way to my lovely beta. Have you read her story, Striptease? You should, it rocks. I'll give you a link at the end of this chapter. FYI - I do replace chapters with beta'd ones when I can. Ch 3 should be replaced soon.

**CH 7 – On the Road**

We were packed and ready to go and spending our final night in Chicago. We all sat around the lobby reminiscing about the good times we'd had there and some of the less fun ones.

"Remember when we almost got stuck in the elevator? Ugh, all cause you guys wouldn't take us swimming," Rosalie groaned.

"Aww, Rosie babe, I've apologized a thousand times," Emmett whined.

She laughed lightly and kissed his cheek. "I know babe, I just like to tease you."

He frowned, letting her get to him like he always did. She whispered softly in his ear and his frown…well it turned upside down quickly.

"I don't want to know what could possibly make him smile like that. What ever it is, please don't do it in the tent tonight." Edward grimaced.

"It's more of a great outdoors thing Eddie my man. Let's just say if the winnie's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'." He grinned.

"Ew! No! No sex on the Winnie! I forbid it!" Alice shrieked.

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at Alice and he leaned over to her. He whispered something in her ear and she grinned mischievously.

"You just said it yourself Ali-cat. No sex in the Winnie." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"We might have to amend that rule, just once…or twice." She smirked.

I glanced sideways at Edward. His eyes were crinkled at the corner, the smile reaching all the way up, laughing at our friends. He was a different Edward than the sullen, sad one I'd met those months ago. Now he appeared to have begun to move on from the loss of his family and had accepted us as his new surrogate family.

It was hard for all of us. The sudden change in the world around us confounded and confused us every day. We wondered when or if we'd come across other people, as our time in the city had not revealed other survivors, so to speak.

I figured as we journeyed across the Western half of the United States, we'd find someone. I only hoped that if we did come across someone, they'd be friendly. I zoned out the conversation of my friends and closed my eyes.

I imagined a time when maybe I'd have my seven minutes in heaven in the Winnie with Edward. He'd be sweet, and attentive. It would definitely be the best seven minutes ever. Unfortunately, he still didn't seem to think of me as anything other than a friend. It was a constant source of frustration for me. The darkness settled in around us and lanterns were flicked off. In my cocoon of blankets I let my dreams wander off to Edward, not that I had a choice. He always featured in them.

I woke the next morning like I did most others, curled in a ball, back to back with Edward. I slipped out of my blankets and tiptoed over to the Winnie. All our food had been packed in there the night before. I had agreed to prepare the inaugural breakfast for our journey.

The kitchen space in the Winnie was quite nice, just small. Every thing was miniature. But we wouldn't want for anything. I scrambled up a bunch of eggs and cooked some bacon and waited anxiously for the coffee to brew. As I plated the food and poured coffee for everyone, Alice appeared in the Winnie to help carry it out.

We sat around the picnic table silently all chewing on our food and our thoughts. I wondered what everyone else was thinking, but I didn't want to interrupt anyone. The guys finished their food and took the dishes back inside. They double checked that everything was secure for the journey while Rose took our dishes in and washed up quickly.

We stood in front of the Trump Tower, armed with a Polaroid camera we'd found in a store. In shock we'd even found one, we were overjoyed to be able to document in some way. We snapped a couple pictures of us in various groups and wrote on the bottom the date and location.

Alice was planning on using her superb design skills to put together a great book of our journey. With the limited amount of film we found, we'd have to be frugal in our picture taking. But some pictures were better than none.

The six of us walked into the Winnie and settled into our seats. Edward was taking the first shift of driving. I sat in the navigator's seat next to him until we hit a long stretch of highway. We eased onto the highway with the intention of stopping somewhere in western Iowa for the evening. I'd marked a couple places that would probably have gas and food.

Alice skulked past me to the seat next to Edward. I knew this couldn't be good. I prepared to follow her up, but Jasper interfered. Asking me questions about the route, he knew the answers. I had a feeling I was being stalled.

"Jasper, we've gone over this a dozen times. You know the route as well I do." My gaze darted between him and the soon to be dead pixie whispering to Edward.

"I know I do. I just do what Alice requests of me." He gave me an innocent look.

I huffed indignantly at him and stood up, but I was too late. The damage, whatever it may be, had been done. Alice breezed past me, humming to herself.

_Oh no evil little fairy, you aren't getting off that easy._

I grabbed her arm and yanked her to the bedroom in the back. Alice gracefully hopped up on the bed and looked at me innocently. I glared at Jasper and shut the door. I could hear chuckles coming from my friends outside the door.

"What did you say Alice?" I asked, trying to sound a little bit menacing.

"To who?" She smirked.

"To..who…what…Alice!" I shrieked. I couldn't stand the games.

"Chill Bella. I just asked him to let us know when he needed to switch." She was lying; I could see it in her devil eyes.

"Ok, now let's try the truth. What did you do?" I growled.

She frowned at me. I knew that look. It was the, _I did it for your own good_ face. It was the, _if I didn't do it, you never would_ face. Usually she was right.

"I only did what neither of you had the courage to. I told Edward to man up. You two clearly have it bad for each other. Yet, neither of you can confess the feelings bubbling underneath it all.

"Your subconsciouses seem to know what they want. Every night you fall asleep and wake up back to back. But in the night you both gravitate toward each other, to the point where you are touching noses. I just thought he should know that," she said sincerely.

"Alice, I know you are trying to help, but maybe it's just me. Of course you know I'm interested in him. It's been obvious since the beginning, but he hasn't really shown any obvious interest in me. Well…" I trailed off.

She immediately picked up on my hesitation and questioned me. I explained the bookstore incident where he'd startled me and I'd fallen. She snorted at that, unsurprised. I told her we'd had a moment there and he said I had a pretty head. She grinned at me.

"Have patience. When I told him about your nocturnal habits, he seemed…optimistic? Maybe you both thought the other wasn't interested, I'm not sure. But something is going to change soon," she laughed.

I mulled that comment over for a moment. _Our nocturnal habits?_ I liked to think I would have noticed lying face to face with him. How could I not? Alice gave me a pointed grin and sauntered out of the room.

I sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to face him. I allowed my eyes to dart up to him. Jasper was sitting beside him, map in hand. I could see their lips moving in hushed discussion. I hoped it was regarding the route and nothing else.

How was I supposed to be in the same room as him now? Embarrassed, I grabbed a book and hid in the bedroom. Knowing that in a few hours I'd have to speak with him.

xVx

About five hours later we were nearing Des Moines, Iowa. I figured we'd need to make a gas stop and stretch our legs. Rose and Emmett had fallen asleep in the bedroom about two hours into the ride. I'd moved out to the dining area to grab a water bottle and they usurped the room from me.

Alice sat by me sketching in a notepad and shaking her head.

"What are you doodling Ali?" I tried to sneak a peak over the table.

"I was thinking about when we reach our final destination, wherever it may be. Well…I'm hoping to design our rooms in the house. I think it will keep me busy for a week or so." She smiled, with a slight nervous edge to it.

"Sounds great. If it were up to me, well…you saw my bedroom. Just don't over kill, or try not to." I smiled.

She nodded thoughtfully and turned her attention back to her sketchbook. Grabbing the occasional colored pencil for details, she looked peaceful while she filled the pages with her ideas. I smiled to myself and resumed reading my book.

Forty-five minutes later I felt the Winnie slowing down to a stop. Jasper jumped up and opened the side door so we could all file out.

"Hey sleepyheads, get up. We're stopping for gas," I called back to Emmett and Rosalie.

Alice closed her sketchbook and skipped out after Jasper. I dashed out after her, hoping to avoid alone time with Edward. I shook my head, I'd never thought I want to _avoid_ alone time with him.

The rest of the gang piled out and we all took our time stretching and soaking in some sunshine. I was cautious to avoid all eye contact with Edward and followed Alice everywhere.

We surveyed the town around us. Des Moines was by no means a large city, far from it. According to Jasper, the sign on the way into town said about 47,000 people. We didn't see a soul around.

"It was like this in every town we drove through. I didn't see anyone. Not even any animals," Edward said quietly.

We all stood in a circle, silently. It was clear that this was a phenomenon extending outside of Illinois. I wasn't sure if it was comforting, or frightening. I decided it was both. Edward walked over to the Winnie and pulled the gas cap off. He turned to the gas pump and paused.

"Ok, so any suggestions on how to get the gas out?" He called over to us.

Emmett and Jasper walked over and surveyed the pump. The pump was off, of course. The power here was out and the pumps needed it to function. The guys began arguing amongst themselves about a solution.

"Rose, please tell me you have an idea. I didn't even consider this," I said to her.

She pursed her lips and looked around. There were some stores around us; she shook her head as she assessed her option. The gas station had a shop attached to it.

"Come on ladies." She walked over to the garage and went in.

We followed her quickly, stifling giggles as we passed the arguing boys.

"Emmett, if you expect me to put my lips around a gas pump and suck the gas out, you've lost it!" Edward growled.

"Well do you have a better idea?" Emmett barked back.

We found Rose rooting around a closet in the back of the store. Alice and I exchanged glances. She shrugged and made for the convenience store.

"You good here Rose, I'm gonna follow Alice," I asked her.

"Sure, no problem. I've got what I need. Let me go deal with these morons. Will you grab some duct tape while you're at it?" She asked.

"Sure, what for?" I asked.

"Their mouths, I don't need to hear them anymore." She grinned wickedly.

I snorted and chased after Alice. She was in the corner of the store searching for something. I heard her yelp in excitement and I ran over. She held two more packs of film for the camera. She pulled the camera out and dashed over to the Winnie.

I watched as she documented Rose using a hand pump to siphon the gas out of the pump and into an empty gas can. Emmett was clearly grumbling to himself as Rose showed him up. I saw the duct tape and ran outside with it.

"Emmett, Rose gave me permission to duct tape your mouth closed if you keep whining." I tore a piece off and stalked towards him.

His widened eyes darted between Rose and I. Rose maintained her focus on the pump while I edged closer to him. I grinned at him as I neared him. He stepped back towards the Winnie and jumped in the driver's door.

"I think I'll take the next leg of driving…better review the map here." He focused his eyes down on the map.

"I'm teasing you Emmett. I promise I won't duct tape you. You can come out." I smirked.

"I'm good here. Seriously though, I'll drive through to Lincoln." He smiled and leaned back against the headrest.

I turned around to face Alice. She was nodding at Emmett and giving him thumbs up sign. I grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Alice, what are you up to? Edward can finish the drive; it's only about three hours from here." I frowned.

Before she could respond to me we heard Rosalie curse at the pump.

"No more is coming out! Hopefully we've put enough in to get to Nebraska. I think this hand pump only has enough power to get out what's near the top of the tank." She kicked the gas pump in annoyance and dumped the contents of the gas can in the Winnie.

"Don't worry Rose, we'll get there. We still had a fair amount left in the tank. We can look for something with more power in Lincoln." Edward suggested.

She nodded and boarded the Winnie, taking the navigator's seat beside Emmett.

I followed them on and took a seat with my book. Edward sat down across from me and closed his eyes. I sighed quietly in relief. Whatever conversation we were going to have wasn't going to happen on the Winnie.

Once we were all boarded safely Emmett got back on the highway headed West. He and Rose talked together in hushed tones. Jasper and Alice went back to the bedroom to spread out and look over her sketches.

The quiet in the Winnie was relaxing and it was only a matter of time before I was asleep.

"Bella wake up, we're almost to Lincoln." I felt my shoulders being shaken.

I opened my eyes slowly and stretched. Edward smiled at me timidly and quickly turned to join Emmett in the front. I pulled the curtain back on the side window and scanned the town as we passed it. Like everywhere else, it was empty. The tell-tale signs of the vanishing that occurred months ago all around us, abandoned cars smashed into one another lined the roads.

We drove through the city until we found a gas station to stop at. Jasper eyed the area warily. Emmett jumped up to open the door when Jasper laid a hand on his arm.

"Be careful, I have a bad feeling." Jasper's eyes narrowed to slits as he looked out the windshield.

Emmett chuckled at Jasper's warning and flung the door open. He jumped outside and stretched lazily. Rose followed him out and kissed him lightly. She began walking over to the gas station.

"I'll see if there's a decent pump here to get the gas out." She called over her shoulder to us.

We'd all filed out of the Winnie, looking around at the street. It was unusual here. There were cars lined up surrounding the gas station, leaving just a small gap that Emmett had maneuvered through to get to the pumps.

Jasper began to follow Rose to the doors when we heard a distinct sound from behind us.

"I'm not so sure you'll be wanting to do that miss. You see, this is our gas. And we don't share." A man stood calmly beside Emmett, pointing a rifle at him.

We all froze with fear as two more armed men surrounded us.

"I apologize that we've intruded. Just let us go and we'll move along from your town." Edward said evenly, hands raised in the air.

"I wish I could just let you all go, but you see it's been a bit lonely here. What about a trade? You can gas up your motor home there, and we'll keep one of your women." He leered.

Jasper growled defensively and wrapped his body around Alice.

"Guess the small one is out of contention. And the blonde seems to be with this oaf here." The man snorted, pushing Emmett with the butt of his rifle.

Another man took a step closer to me. "This one doesn't seem to be with any of them. And none of them are stepping up to claim you."

I felt my heart race with fear. _Was this really happening?_ The man took two long strides and grabbed my arm. The ring leader licked his lips lecherously as he appraised me.

"Looks good to me." He pointed his gun at Edward as he walked over to me. "I've decided I don't want to share my gas after all. You all get out of here, we'll keep your woman here and we won't kill you."

He leaned in and smelled me. I could feel his hot, foul breath on my face. "You smell like strawberries. I bet you taste as good as them too."

I could barely contain my tears as he pushed my hair and licked my jaw line. I shuddered violently, willing the bile in my throat to stay down.

Edward growled and took a step toward us. "Let her go."

The foul man released me and strode toward Edward. He aimed the gun at his temple and smiled wickedly. "What are you going to do to stop me?"

"Edward…no! Please just run." I panicked; my whole family was in danger. All I wanted was for them to get on that Winnie and get as far away from the men with guns as possible.

I knew somehow they'd find a way back to me. I watched as Edward leaned into him menacingly. The man caressed the trigger with his finger, ready to pull. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to watch anymore.

I felt hands on both my arms, as the leader's cronies held on to me. I could hear them argue about who got the first go at me. I opened my eyes and fixed my gaze on Edward. He looked at me and smiled grimly.

"Edward…no…" I mean to scream it, but it only came out as a whisper.

"So, tough guy. What are you going to do?" The leader snarled.

I shut my eyes again, the tears gathering in my eyes. I heard a scuffle and a gun shot. The two men released me suddenly. I opened my eyes to see what happened but they were obscured by tears.

I heard Alice scream and the fear consumed me. I slipped into darkness, not knowing whether or not Edward was alive.

**End Note: **Sooooo….I'll be working on chapter 8 soon. Hopefully I can get it done faster than this one. Since I leave it on a cliffie and all. Since you hung with me till the end, I'm going to give you that link to Striptease by my beta Sorcha_Cullen.

.net/s/5696274/1/

I feel like throwing some recs out there. January by owenic (awesome post-BD story) and Starting Over by WynterC (Alice never comes back in New Moon and Bella moves on. You have to check it out)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **So hopefully the wait wasn't too long, right? I'm working as fast as I can, I promise. I want to just thank all the new readers that marked Vanished as a favorite, I saw an influx of readers after chapter 3 posted on Twilighted and was so jazzed!

Many thanks to Marina who always pre-reads my chapters and offers her advice. This chapter required quite a bit of tweaking to get right. I needed to include some sections based on feedback I received over at Twilighted on chapter 3.

As usual this is a un-beta'd mess, forgive the poor word choice and comma love. Someday I will be able to write eloquently and with the appropriate number of commas.

**CH 8 – Confessions**

Previously on Vanished….

_I shut my eyes again, the tears gathering in my eyes. I heard a scuffle and a gun shot. The two men released me suddenly. I opened my eyes to see what happened but they were obscured by tears. _

_I heard Alice scream and the fear consumed me. I slipped into darkness, not knowing whether or not Edward was alive._

xVx

"Bella, wake up…please wake up," a voice whispered to me.

Slowly regaining consciousness, I tried to concentrate on the softly pleading voice, unsure of where I was or why my head was throbbing. As I lay there, my mind gradually recalled what had occurred before my black out. A gun shot, a scream and sounds of scuffle around me. Alice's terrified scream rang in my ears, the panic bubbled up in my chest and I bolted upright.

"Edward!" I choked out.

Strong arms encircled my waist, a soft hand pushing the hair out of my eyes. "I'm here. I'm ok. Shhh…it's ok."

He was ok. I felt the pressure around my heart go away and the panic recede. I found his face, his eyes searching mine with concern as he pulled me into an embrace.

"I was so afraid. I can't lose you," I whispered to him, clinging tightly to his strong arms for assurance that he was really unharmed.

"I'm sorry. I had no intention of frightening you, but I couldn't…wouldn't allow them to take you from me." His eyes were downcast, hiding something from me.

_From him? What did that mean?_ As I pondered his words, I was interrupted by the sounds of Jasper and Emmett indicating that had completed what they were doing. Edward rose slowly and helped me get on my feet.

Too shaky to stand on my own, Edward passed me to Alice and Rose while he joined the other guys. My friends held me tight as they explained what had transpired after I had blacked out.

"_No!" Alice screamed. Her panic increased seeing Bella fall to the ground, hitting her head on the pavement. Alice's scream distracted the man just long enough for Edward to take control of the situation._

_Edward unerringly went straight for the man holding the gun, punching him and forcing the man to lose his grip and the gun to fall to the ground. They struggled for control of the firearm, causing it to go off unintentionally. The leader was shot in the leg and dropped to the ground, crying out in shock and pain. _

_Edward took possession of the gun and shot quickly at the feet of the others, intending to scare rather than harm them. They dropped their weapons and surrendered, seeing clearly that Edward was unafraid to make that next shot one that counted. _

"_Take their guns and get that duct tape. Bind them tight enough that it will take some clever maneuvering to get out. Wrap that gun shot to his leg with something to stop the bleeding." Edward handed the rifle to Rose and sprinted to Bella. _

_Edward wasn't a murderer, but he wouldn't afford them the chance to follow the Winnie when they left. He knelt beside Bella and picked her up gently. He felt her head to check for injury. _

_She had a bump forming, but no bleeding. She'd have a hell of headache, but the injury didn't appear too severe. He sat like this, whispering to her, begging her to come back to him. She began to stir in his arms and relief washed over him. _

"Good thing we grabbed that duct tape." I laughed weakly at my joke.

Edward strode back to us and picked me up effortlessly. "Let's go, we'll find gas elsewhere."

I watched as Emmett and Jasper locked two of the guns in the waterproof box under the Winnie and carried the other inside. I suppose there was a high chance we would encounter more violent people on the road. If that was the case, the protection could be necessary again

We boarded the Winnie and he set me gently on the bed. Alice and Rose lay beside me, whispering their relief. It had been an incredibly long day and I was ready to stop for the night, but we still needed to find gas.

I felt the Winnie start up and pull out of the parking lot. Alice got up quietly and puttered around the kitchenette. A couple minutes later she was back with Tylenol, water and an ice pack.

"You hit your head. Take this and ice it a bit." She handed the pills and water to me.

I quickly swallowed the pills. The ice soothed the dull pain that had started to form on the back of my head. The three of us sat together quietly, appreciating the fact we were all together.

"We'll stop in about an hour. There's a town coming up with gas. We'll find a place to park there for the night." Jasper informed us and went back to the front.

"Ok, thanks Jazz," Alice said quietly.

I kept my eyes closed and listened to Alice and Rose murmur about setting up for the night. Clearly incident in Lincoln had shaken us all to the core. We realized we'd been a little blasé about driving across the country.

Just because we'd never encountered anyone in Chicago didn't mean there was no one left. And now we knew that we were definitely not alone, we were all going to be more cautious.

Maybe we'd been too cavalier about everything. The world changed this summer. We'd lived in luxury for weeks, enjoying ourselves and not really addressing what had happened. Then the cold came and we started to come crashing back to reality. We realized we could no longer live the life we'd created in Chicago.

We blazed a trail west to find out if our loved ones were still here and make a new home. But what if we got to Denver and Rose's family was gone? And worse yet, _for me_, what if we made it to Forks and Charlie was gone? A lump formed in my throat at the thought. We'd spent so much time playing house and running the city we'd not even taken the time to address the extraordinary event that had occurred. Shouldn't we take the time to find out what happened or at least talk about it?

Were we living in a state of denial?

These questions plagued my thoughts until the Winnie came to a stop. The guys filed out cautiously, Jasper indicated we were to stay inside until they had checked everything out. Edward went first with the rifle in his hand. A couple minutes passed and Emmett came on to let us know it all appeared safe.

I stayed inside while Rose and Alice stepped out to stretch. My head felt better after the ice and some rest, but to my surprise, my stomach began to protest its empty state. I padded into the kitchenette and grabbed a pot to fill with water to boil. Spaghetti and garlic bread sounded like good comfort food. I grabbed a couple boxes of pasta and a jar of sauce, then flicked the oven on to warm some bread.

Edward stepped on board and breathed in the aroma of food. He gave me a lop-sided smile and stretched out on the small couch. We didn't say anything; although we had a lot we probably needed to talk about. He'd saved me from being taken by the crazy men, and as a result, he now knew that I harbored feelings for him that reached beyond the friendship we'd established.

I carefully drained the spaghetti into the small sink and dumped it back into the pot. As I finished up preparing the food I asked Edward to let everyone know that dinner was nearly ready.

"We set up a picnic table outside Bells. Emmett and Jazz scouted the area well, there doesn't seem to be anyone around. It should be safe." Alice peeked her head around the front door, eyes widening in appreciation of the delicious smells coming from the kitchenette.

"Ok, will you grab some plates and silverware? I'll carry the food out," I asked her.

She nodded and hopped up into the Winnie. We maneuvered around each other in the small space easily. I grabbed the pot of spaghetti and carried it outside.

"Edward, will you grab the bread and something to drink?" I called to him.

"That looks great Bella. I'm starving!" Emmett grinned.

"Yeah, I don't think we'll ever starve with you around." Jasper agreed.

I turned expectantly to the Winnie, waiting for Alice and Edward to come out. How hard is it to get a bottle of wine and grab the bread? I started to walk back over when they popped out.

"Sorry Bells. Edward wanted white wine but I told him that was not acceptable," she said.

"Yes, I've been shown the error of my ways," he said sheepishly.

"In more ways than one I hope," Rose said snarkily.

I whirled around and glared at her. She just shrugged her shoulders and began loading plates up with the pasta. We all gathered around and ate in silence. It wasn't the comfortable quiet we had at breakfast. We were all shaken and slightly nervous now.

"I don't want anyone going anywhere alone when we go into cities. Even if it's the bathroom, or something, I think we should stay together or at least groups of three," Emmett suggested.

We all began discussing our safety for the rest of the journey. We agreed that no one would go anywhere alone and we'd try to stay together if possible. I pondered for a moment, if I should say something about millions of people vanishing. I wanted to ask why we didn't talk about it. But part of me knew why we didn't; it was just too scary to talk about.

For now at least. At some point we'd have to talk about it. At least I knew I would.

We finished up our dinner with a new safety plan and decided to go to bed for the evening. We'd parked behind the garage so we couldn't be seen from the road. First thing in the morning we'd fill up and hit the road to Denver.

Alice, Rose and Emmett took care of clean up while Edward, Jasper and I sat outside watching the sunset. I stole glances at Edward. He was leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed. He appeared so relaxed, despite the fact he had a rifle in his lap.

I knew it was for our protection, but just seeing it reminded me of what happened this morning and how close we came to losing someone. I sighed quietly and, feeling watched, glanced around until my eyes landed on Jasper. He was watching me intently.

Edward stood and stretched. "I'm headed inside to set up the beds. You guys follow quick ok?"

He handed the gun to Jasper with a nod. Jasper indicated we'd follow in a minute, waiting until Edward had entered the Winnie before turning to me with a smile.

"You know Bella. I don't want to sound like Alice, but the tension between you two is palpable. Both of you have pretty much confessed you like each other. My suggestion is you go for it. He wants you, you want him. He would have done anything to protect you today. He looks at you how I look at Alice, how Emmett looks at Rosalie. There is love in his eyes and more assuredly in his heart. I know you feel it too.

"I just wanted to throw in my two-cents. I know you've heard enough from the girls. But take it from a guy, that one in there. He's crazy about you." Jasper stood and offered me his hand.

I took it and stood slowly. His smile was so reassuring. I knew he wouldn't make something like this up. Could it be that this whole time the feelings I had for Edward were being reciprocated? Was I so blind?

"Bella, I've made your bed for you and got you an ice pack for your head. You should ice it one more time before going to sleep. Does it still hurt? I can get you some Tylenol." Edward appeared once more from within the Winnie. He stepped down and wrapped a protective arm around me and guided me inside.

Jasper gave me a look, one that said _I told you so._ I stuck my tongue out at him and snuggled into Edward's side. I felt his hand tighten on my shoulder reassuringly. I knew Jasper was right. It was time to make a move.

But maybe not in a Winnebago full of nosy people.

xVx

We woke early the next morning after our first night sleeping in the Winnie. I didn't sleep well, every time I closed my eyes I heard Alice's scream and the gun shot. Based on my friends' appearances no one slept well.

The pumps at this station were also off. Rose found a decent hand pump inside the garage and we managed to get the tank near full. We loaded up in the Winnie and hit the road. I had pushed the curtains back so we could see out the windows. It turns out there isn't much to see in Nebraska.

One day on the road and cabin fever was already settling in. We had at least 4 more days on the road. One day to Denver, two days to Portland and one more up to Seattle. Approximately three hours into our drive Emmett just snapped.

"I'm bored Rose! I don't want to watch another movie or play video games," he complained.

"Emmett, we've been on the road one day. Please relax. We'll stop in a couple hours for lunch and you can throw the ball around or something." Rose tried to calm him.

"No, I want to go all Zombieland on something." He grinned.

"Zombieland, like the movie? You want to eat people?" I asked.

"Jeez Bells. No. You know when they are driving and they stop and smash up that place. I want to do that," he said.

"Let me get this straight. You want to go into someone's shop and destroy it?" Jasper asked from the front.

"Yes," Emmett said simply.

"Sounds good. We've got to make sure it's completely deserted though," Edward said.

"Are you guys insane? Alice, Rose you can't possibly agree with this," I asked.

"I don't know Bella. I think it might be good to get some aggression out. Especially after what happened yesterday." Alice shrugged.

"Yeah, I think it sounds great. We need to find a tacky souvenir shop somewhere and just do it," Rose agreed.

I stared at my friends. "You are all nuts. I'm not participating."

I turned back to my book and put on my iPod. They all talked excitedly about smashing it up. I couldn't believe them. I read for while, ignoring the mutterings of my friends. With their planning behind them, Alice went to the back room to look for a sturdier outfit to wear for destruction. I pulled the buds out of my ears and turned off my iPod. I set my book down and followed her back. My stomach was still in knots from my thoughts earlier. I knew if anyone would talk to me about it, Alice would be it.

I flopped down on the bed and watched her dig through the closet. She muttered to herself as she pulled out garments and re-hung them.

"Hey, Ali?" I said quietly.

She jumped a little and turned to face me. "Jeez Bells, don't sneak up on people. You scared me."

I smiled sheepishly at her and apologized. "Sorry, I was just hoping for some company."

She narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well…no…yeah, I mean I guess I just have things on my mind," I stammered.

"What is it? You can tell me anything, you know that." She sat beside me and patted my back reassuringly.

"Well it's just that I've been thinking about everything that's happened since…you know…the summer and I just need to…" I started to tell her about my fears and concerns when I felt the Winnie slow to a stop.

"Hold up Bells. Let me see what's going on." Alice bounded up to the front.

I peered out the window and saw a gas station and Old West gift shop. I watched as my friends all lined up excitedly and filed out. I sighed to myself; I'd hardly gotten to talk to Alice at all. Now the buzz surrounding the 'smash it up' as Emmett called it was all anyone could talk about.

I found myself slightly annoyed that what I thought was going to be an in depth discussion was getting blown off for childish destruction. I huffed indignantly to myself and slowly followed them out.

I surveyed the area around us. The small town was on the border of Colorado. It was clearly designed to be an Old Wild West style tourist town. The bars were all called saloons and had swinging doors. It was actually kind of a cute town. I felt bad we were going to destroy the gift shop.

That was until I walked in. The tacky gifts and tactless displays changed my mind. It seemed like they were stuck in the 1800's in here. Native American's were portrayed as the stereotypical scalping Indians and the Calvary as the valiant heroes.

I turned to my friends who lined up with various implements for striking and said, "Let's do this."

Maybe a release of aggression wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

I picked up a hard plastic machete and smashed a display of head dresses. My friends erupted in laughter and spread out through the store. The sounds of shattering and laughter made me feel much better than I could have thought possible.

I walked up to a ceramic bust of Custer and smashed it into bits and moved on to a display of arrow heads. I watched as Alice pushed a bookshelf over into a glass case holding beaded jewelry. I saw a glint in her as she reached into the case and pulled out a necklace.

Only Alice would find a way to shop in a store she was destroying.

Rose and Emmett had found bubble wrap behind the counter and were popping the little bubbles endlessly.

"Very destructive, Emm." I smirked as I brought my machete down on another glass case.

"It's bubble wrap Bells. I dare you to pop one and then not pop another." He grinned.

I walked away from my friends through the destruction. The shattering quieted but the laughter didn't. I stood in the middle of the room and surveyed the damage. One glass case beside me was still standing, full of 'real' Indian head dress feathers. Make Your Own! The display read. I growled and smashed it hard.

The feathers flew up around me in a cloud. I giggled as they landed around me, sliding down my arms and sticking in my hair.

Edward looked elated as he watched me from across the room. He quickly strode across the room in the rain of feathers. When he reached me we began plucking feathers out of each others hair.

"That was fun," I said breathlessly.

"It was," he agreed.

He kept pulling the feathers out of my hair, keeping his gaze fixed on me. He wrapped his arm around me and toyed with the ends of my hair. His smile was so sincere; I hadn't seen him so happy…well, ever.

I looked around his shoulder at Jasper, who gave me a slight nod. Jasper was right, one of us needed to make a move. I looked at Edward and pulled a feather out of his wild hair. I ran my fingers through it and allowed them to trail down his strong jaw line.

"Edward, I…" I was cut off by his mouth crashing into mine.

I parted my lips and allowed him to deepen the kiss. He wrapped both arms me and pulled my body flush into his. I greedily ran my hands through his hair, relishing the moment.

I'd all but forgotten about my friends, who were now filing out.

"About damn time," Rose muttered as she passed by.

They all exited leaving Edward and me in the store alone. We stayed wrapped up kissing lightly. I stepped back to look into his eyes. He smiled and pulled me back in. I never wanted to stop kissing him. Why had we waited so long?

**End Note:** *stares at the readers* So, I got them together right? Right? There's no lemon here as you see, one I've never written a lemon and not sure I have the cajones to do so. And two, while she's wicked attracted to him, duh, she's also concerned about other things. The feelings are there, but it's not time.

So leave me a review and suggestions on lemon writing.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So I totally apologize for the fluff below. If you are diabetic, you've been warned. :D I also apologize for the delay. I can rattle off my excuses for not posting in forever, but I'm not going to. :P **

**CH 9 – Home and Family**

I buried my head in Edward's chest as his lightly drew circles on my back. It felt so right to be here, wrapped in his arms…in a rain of feathers. I could hear the rumble in his chest as he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I peeked up at his smiling face.

"We look like multi-colored chickens." He pointed to a mirrored wall behind the register.

He was right; we had brightly colored feathers sticking out of our hair in every direction. I laughed loudly at the sight. I heard a click and turned to see Alice snapping a picture of Edward and I wrapped up in each other's arms like two chickens in love.

She giggled gleefully and skipped back to the Winnie. Edward and I sighed as we watched Alice high five Rose. I watched as our friends set up the table for lunch, feeling at peace for the moment. I felt as though our little family was going to make it.

Edward turned my face back to his and peppered kisses in my hair, down my cheeks to my lips. I grabbed his hair by the fistful and held his beautiful face to mine.

Edward broke the kiss and whispered, "Why did we wait so long to do this?"

"What ever the reason may be, I'm happy we are now." I smiled and greedily pulled his body into mine.

We stood that way, kissing, smiling and murmuring things to each other until Emmett interrupted us.

"Ok love birds…ha ha…it's lunch time. We need to hit the road if we want to make Denver before night fall." Emmett grabbed our arms and dragged us outside.

As we approached the Winnie our friends burst into applause. Exclaiming it was about time and a low; get a room, from Rose. We sat down beside each other and kept our hands linked under the table.

Jasper and Rose seemed to be having one of their silent sibling conversations. I wondered what they were thinking about, as they continued to raise eyebrows at each other and nod subtly.

I arched an eyebrow at Rose, but only earned a head shake from her. I figured they were silently wondering if their family would be there. The Hale's were prominent in Denver; they ran a successful law office in downtown primarily working on divorce cases. It never ceased to amaze me that a happily married couple could be so effective at ending marriages.

Jasper once said that because they were so busy focusing on other couple's unhappiness, they didn't have time to focus on their own. They spent their free time doing all the fun things the divorcing couples thought they would do. And therefore they were actually happier. I told him that it didn't make sense, but since it worked, I wasn't going to judge them.

We finished up our meal and after a quick clean up were back on the road. Rose offered to drive this portion since she knew how to maneuver through the city. Emmett rode shot gun with her, while the rest of us sat around the dining table chattering about nothing in particular.

Edward wrapped his arm snugly around my shoulder and toyed with the ends of my hair. I sighed contentedly and leaned into his side. I glanced up at Alice, whose eyes were dancing playfully. I could see the wheels turning in her brain; it was only a matter of time before she exploded.

"Ohmigosh, it took you guys long enough. Jasper and I agreed to sleep out here tonight, so you two can have some privacy." She winked.

I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. I hadn't even actually considered taking _that _step with him yet. It was too soon.

"Umm…Alice. Can we talk…in there?" I pointed to the bedroom.

"Don't you mean…" I cut her off with a huff and dragged her petite form to the room.

I slammed the door and turned to her. "Alice! Edward and I just kissed…like an hour ago…for the _first _time. I am not ready to…you know…with him."

"Well if you can't even say sex, I guess you aren't." She smirked.

"I can say sex. Sex. Sex. Sex! But I don't want to rush things with him. We could be stuck with each other for a long time and if things don't work out…I don't want it to be awkward." I blushed.

"Ok, Bells I get it. But we're giving you the room anyway. It's not like you have to have sex with him. Take some time to just be together." She smiled warmly.

I sighed heavily and smiled at my well-meaning friend. I knew I wasn't ready to even have that talk with Edward. I didn't figure he'd want to move our relationship too fast. There were more important things to consider at this point, like if we'd find more people and settling our group down somewhere.

Alice snapped me out of my fog. "Bells, you have to believe me when I say you two are perfect for each other. Don't rush; I know how important he is to you. And I'm sure you know that you mean a lot to him."

"Thanks Alice. I know you're right. Truthfully, I think after we get to Forks and settle down somewhere, I'll be ready. To be honest, I can't really think of much else than seeing Charlie and knowing he's safe. It's not to say that I don't want to jump his gorgeous bones, 'cause I do. But he deserves more than a distracted girl. And I deserve the same. He needs to fully grieve his parents. And I'll be there for him while he does." Alice nodded in agreement with the little speech I gave.

We wandered back to the table and sat beside our guys. Edward pressed his face to my hair and inhaled deeply. He wrapped an arm around me securely and I melted into him. The four of us chattered about Denver, wondering what we would find. I searched Jasper's face for what he was feeling. He reached across the table and squeezed my hand gently.

"Don't worry Bells. Even if they aren't there, I have all the family I need here. Alice is my home, you all are my family. No matter what the outcome in Denver, know that I feel happiest when I'm with you guys," Jasper said reassuringly.

"There isn't a tiny part of you that is afraid they're gone?" I wondered.

"Of course I'll grieve if they are gone, but I know that life will move on. We'll move on." He smiled at Edward and me.

It was the reassurance that we both needed. That despite the loss of our parents and family, we still had something; we had each other.

We all had home; Jasper had Alice, Emmett had Rose and Edward undoubtedly had me. And we all had each other.

xVx

Emmett announced our entry to the Denver city limits and the air around us changed. There was a sense of anxiety permeating the air. Jasper walked quietly to the front and sat beside his sister. Alice, Edward and I followed silently and sat in the chairs near the front.

Rose gave direction to Emmett as we made our way through the city. Denver was beautiful, I took in the scenery, and committing it to memory should we never be back this. After driving through the Plains states, this was a welcomed change.

Like most other towns we'd passed through, Denver was abandoned. It wasn't until we'd neared the center of town that we noticed something different. A wide green field, that appeared to have various types of plants growing. There was a structure that almost appeared to be like a barn, and smoke coming from some of the houses that lined that park.

We all looked at each other in surprise; could it be that people were here? Emmett pulled into the parking lot at the edge of the field and killed the engine. The men grabbed guns and cautiously walked out. We followed shortly after, scanning the area around us.

Sure enough, corn and wheat were growing in the fields. Smaller gardens revealed beds of vegetables and fruits waiting to be picked. The tell-tale sounds of animals came from the barn.

"Is this a farm? Like a working farm?" Alice looked around wide-eyed.

No one knew how to respond, so we followed a slightly worn path towards the houses. Edward and Jasper took the lead while Emmett followed behind us. We wouldn't risk exposure, in case these weren't friendlies.

The door of the one of the houses flung open and a man stepped out, rifle pointed at us.

"Identify yourselves. Now," he shouted.

His gaze softened as it settled on us. His jaw went slack and the rifle dropped from his hands. I gasped as I took in his appearance. His golden hair curled in an unruly manner around his face, his blue eyes sparkled in the late day sun.

"It can't be…can it?" Jasper stepped forward, slowly.

Rose broke into a sprint towards the house. Jasper's pace quickened as the man called for his wife from the house. An icy blonde woman stepped out and dropped to her knees at the sight of her children.

The four wrapped up in each other, sobbing and hugging. It stayed that way for a while. Slowly, more people came out of the houses and stood around to witness the reunion.

"Maybe we should give them some privacy," I suggested.

A young woman nodded and invited us into her home. A fire burned in the hearth and the smell of fresh bread came from the kitchen.

She gave us all a cup of coffee and brought out a tray of cookies. It was so unreal, like we'd been transported back over one-hundred years. Though the technology of the new millennium was still present, it was clear we were now in a different time.

"Where are you all from?" she asked.

"We've traveled from Chicago. The weather was becoming unbearable there and the city didn't provide what we needed to survive anymore. As you can here, we see," Edward explained.

"We also wanted to see if our families were here. As most of us hail from the West Coast," Emmett added.

"How many of you are there?" Alice asked.

"Well, my name is Kate and my husband Garrett and I are the home owners here. He's out hunting now. There is very little game around, but we'll take what meat we can get. There are 8 other homes, mostly single people and of course the Hales. We've come from the Denver area and decided to stay, despite the impending winter," she explained.

"So it's a functioning farm then?" I asked.

"It is; we have two cows we found in the country, three pigs and two chickens. Learning how to farm and milk cows has been…a challenge. But we manage." She smiled.

We sat around her fire and discussed our plans with her. I could see she hoped we might add our clan to theirs, but I knew I had to continue on to Washington. I'd already come this far.

Emmett and Alice indicated that should Rose and Jasper wish to stay, they'd be happy to. Edward wrapped his arm around me and said wherever I went, he did. My heart wrenched with sadness at the thought of losing four members of our family. But I knew that the chance to be with their parents meant we could lose them.

About an hour later the Hales joined us. Their faces streaked with tears, their hands joined.

"Sarah and I would welcome everyone to our home for dinner tonight. Garrett has returned after a successful hunt," Jasper's father, Andrew, informed us.

We all accepted graciously, Kate smiled proudly hearing her husband had provided for us all.

xVx

After a hearty stew, fresh bread and garden vegetables, we all settled in chairs outside around a fire pit. We agreed to stay for a visit with the Denver clan. As it turned out, after discussion with the people, they were interested in our potential move to California. Jasper and Rose decided not to break up our small family, after spending a couple weeks here we would keep moving north to Oregon and Washington.

"Jasper and I had a discussion and he agreed that once you find a suitable place to settle down, he would come back for us and let us know where you are staying. We'd be happy to join you all in California." Andrew smiled.

I breathed a sigh of relief knowing we would not only stay together, but the people of Denver would help us build a new life elsewhere. The knowledge they had gained from living off the land would be invaluable.

After celebrating the reunion of the Hales and the future we all retired to our rooms. Edward and I slipped into a bed together; he pulled me close to him. It felt like things were coming together. The sheer happiness running through me hit me hard. I couldn't stop the tears that welled up in my eyes.

"What's wrong, love?" Edward asked voice full of concern.

"I'm happy. I feel content rippling through me. Nothing has felt more right than being here with you and knowing that our family is staying together." I sniffled.

"I know exactly what you mean." He pulled me flush with his body and kissed my head.

I knew that Jasper was right. Even if Charlie wasn't there, I had my home and family. And we'd survive on the love we had and get through any loss we suffered.

**End Note:** So this is on the short side, sorry! And as I forewarned, the sugary sweetness was unavoidable. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think. Sugar overload?

And a little poll, we have two more stops before the end. Portland to see if Emmett's family is there and of course Forks and Charlie. What do you think?

Both families are there – McCarty and Swan

Only one – No McCarty, but huzzah there's Charlie

Neither are there

One of these is the correct answer.


End file.
